Description
A delicious and hearty dish featuring bell peppers stuffed with a smoky BBQ meatloaf mixture, topped with melted cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or green), tops removed and seeds discarded
- 1.1 pounds ground beef (80% lean)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and prepare the baking dish by lightly coating it with oil or nonstick spray.
- Prepare the bell peppers by slicing off the tops, removing the seeds and membranes, and setting them aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, whole milk, parsley, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce. Mix until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Stuff each pepper evenly with the meat mixture, gently mounding it at the top, and arrange them upright in the prepared baking dish.
- Brush the tops of each stuffed pepper with 2 tablespoons of the remaining barbecue sauce, then loosely cover the dish with foil.
- Bake the covered peppers on the middle rack for 35 minutes, then remove the foil.
- Brush the peppers with the remaining barbecue sauce and top each one with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender.
- Allow the stuffed peppers to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Feel free to use any color bell peppers according to your preference.
- For a spicier kick, add red pepper flakes to the meatloaf mixture.
- Leftover stuffed peppers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 90mg