Stuffed Bell Peppers (Pinoy Style)

I love bell peppers! When they abound in summer time, I think of all the recipes that I can use them for. You see, red and other colored (except for the green) bell peppers are quite expensive so I take advantage of buying them during summer when they are in season. I love getting the freshest most beautiful peppers in the Farmers' market.

One of the recipes I have been wanting to do for the longest time is stuffed bell peppers. The question is, what kind of stuffing should I make? I didn't want to use just the usual browned ground beef. I thought why not try to use my recipe for arroz a la cubana and do a Pinoy version of stuffed bell peppers? After all it's a recipe that calls for ground meat but with the addition of carrots, raisins and peppers/potatoes, hmmm....why not?

So I tried it and it worked! From now on, this will be my stuffing for bell peppers.

Most stuffed bell pepper recipes would call for the use of the oven to cook this dish. But it's summer time and I don't want to turn the house into a furnace in the middle of an already hot summer so I decided to experiment and use my cast iron instead. Instead of using the oven, I cooked it on the stove top. It worked too! Not only is it possible to cook stuffed bell peppers outside the oven, I also managed to cut the cooking time in half the time. Most of all, the peppers retained their lovely shape. Easy, quick and delicious cooking! Enjoy this recipe while the peppers abound!

For this dish, the arroz a la cubana recipe is indispensable. Click here to get the recipe. When using the recipe as a stuffing, I replace the peppers with red potatoes since we are already using them as the receptacle for the dish.

If you wish to print the recipe, there's a print icon below the post. Don't forget to click on the "remove images" box for easy and convenient printing. Thanks.

Ingredients

Ground meat cooked based on arroz a la cubana recipe (click here).
6 large bell peppers of various colors (if using the entire arroz recipe)
1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce plus half a can of water 
1 teaspoon gluten-free Soy sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon gluten-free Oyster sauce, or to taste 
1 Tablespoon brown Sugar, or to taste 
Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure

In a cast iron or any deep and large cooking pan, heat the tomato sauce and the water. Season with soy and oyster sauce, sugar and a little salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning to your taste. Try to achieve a balance between sweetness, saltiness and tartness. Simmer the sauce while you prepare the bell peppers.

Rinse and dry the bell peppers. Cut the tops off and remove the seeds. You may need to taper the bottom of the peppers to ensure that they stand.

Fill the bell peppers with the ground meat mixture up to the top and more if you wish.

Place the peppers inside the cast iron casserole and cook on gentle simmer for about 30 minutes or until the peppers are fully cooked through and tender.

Spoon the sauce on the peppers and serve them with steamed rice on the side. Yum! Truly Pinoy!

If you wish to print the recipe, there's a print-friendly icon below the post. Click on the "remove images" box for easy and convenient printing.

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