Baked stuffed peppers served with rice

There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about stuffed peppers, isn’t there?

But this time, we’re giving them a fun little twist! Instead of simmering everything together in one pot, we bake the peppers in the oven until they’re soft, sweet, and slightly caramelised, and cook the meat with the vegetables separately so it stays rich, saucy, and full of flavour.

The result? A colourful, cosy plate that brings together roasted peppers filled with a hearty, delicious filling, a fluffy portion of perfectly cooked basmati rice, and a generous spoonful of cool, creamy yoghurt to tie everything together.

Total win!

Ingredients: (for 2 portions)

• 2 bell peppers
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 Romano pepper
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 heaping tablespoon Mexican spice mix
• 20 g butter
• 120 g basmati rice
• 50 g yogurt
• 200 g minced meat (I used pork, but beef or a mix works too)
• 1 stock cube
• 250 g canned red beans – measured after draining
• Salt and pepper
• parsley for decoration – optional

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200°C and let it get nice and hot. Wash the peppers, remove the stems, seeds, and membranes. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, place the peppers on it just like in the photo below, and pop them into the oven for 20–25 minutes once it’s fully heated.

In a pot, add water, the stock cube, and the rice. Bring everything to a boil and cook until the rice is fluffy and tender, then drain it in a sieve.

Wash the Romano pepper and tomato, then dice them into small pieces. Finely chop the onion, and place the red beans in a sieve, drain them well and rinse under cold running water.

In a deep pan, melt the butter, then add the chopped onion. Sauté until it turns soft and translucent, then add the minced meat along with the Mexican seasoning. Give everything a good stir and cook until the meat starts to brown nicely.

Then add the chopped pepper, tomato, and beans. Mix everything well, cover with a lid, and let it cook for about 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust with salt and pepper if needed. By this time, the peppers in the oven should be ready, so take them out and set them aside.

When everything is ready, it’s time to plate. Place two roasted pepper halves on each plate. Divide the filling evenly between the four pepper halves. Split the rice into two equal portions and serve it alongside. Finish by adding one or two generous spoonfuls of yoghurt over the stuffed peppers. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over the rice and top everything with a few freshly chopped parsley leaves.

If you try the recipe, let me know how you liked it! 😊

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