When I’m feeling on the wild side, I mix it up: red, yellow, and green peppers.
Stuffed peppers: you either love ’em or hate ’em. My love affair with stuffed peppers began with a particularly tasty version cooked by my mother. I even liked the ones at the school cafeteria. But that was back in the day when cafeteria workers were old-fashion cooks, making real food for kids from scratch.
For years I didn’t cook stuffed peppers, because my family wasn’t keen on them. But today I cook four at a time, eat one and freeze the rest for a quick evening meal.
I especially like the Sicilian Stuffed Pepper recipe on DiGregorio’s Italian Grocery website. It uses breadcrumbs rather than rice. But sometime I substitute rice or a mixture of the two. My modified recipe also includes red pepper flakes and onions. Though unnecessary, I prefer cooking the stuffed peppers in a puddle of Marinara sauce (or a favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce) and putting a spoonful atop each before I sprinkle on the cheese.
It starts in the skillet with chopped green peppers, onion, garlic, salissia, ground beef, and red pepper flakes.
Meanwhile, I give the green pepper cups a 3-minute bath in boiling, salted water.
A can of diced tomatoes, Panko bread crumbs and fontina cheese go into the mix.
The stuffed pepper gets a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a bit of parsley before going into the oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.
Sicilian Stuffed Pepper
Should you use green peppers or the red, or yellow, or even the orange ones? It’s a matter of taste. Just remember that green peppers are on their way to turning color and are harvested early. The fully ripened ones are, naturally, a bit sweeter.
And, if you’re pushed for time, or don’t want to cook, it’s good to know that you can revert to Costco for a multi-colored, six-pack of frozen stuffed peppers. Whichever way stuffed pepper are eaten, they’re a treat for their many fans. Sadly, it turned out I was the only fan in my family.
