Photo Courtesy of Gab Varano

Chop it like it’s hot! It’s peak pepper season, so here’s a home recipe (shout out to my mom) to eat all of the super fresh veggies while we still can, making them even better by adding loads of cheese. Who could ask for anything more? 

Ingredients:

Vegetarian Option

2 sweet bell peppers – red, yellow, orange variety – washed, dried, seeded and cut in half

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 

1 small zucchini, chopped

2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley and basil, chopped

1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1/4 cup sharp provolone cheese, diced

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, diced

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup cooked rice (white, Jasmine or brown), allow to cool to room temperature

Olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the skillet, plus four tablespoons to coat the bottom of the glass baking pan

Salt and black pepper to taste

With Meat

Follow recipe above and add 1/4 lb. cooked ground beef or ground pork sausage. Allow meat to cool to room temperature before adding to rice mixture. Meat can also be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated.

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet.

Add onions and zucchini. Sauté for approximately 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir frequently.

Add garlic. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Stir frequently.

Remove mixture from heat and set aside to cool.

Place rice into a large mixing bowl, add diced cheeses and grated cheese. Mix thoroughly.

Add grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

If using meat, add to rice mixture and stir to incorporate.

Add cooled onion, garlic and zucchini mixture to rice. Mix well.

Add chopped parsley and basil and mix evenly.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Coat the bottom of a glass pan with olive oil. Glass pan should comfortably fit the 4 pepper halves.

Fill the pepper halves with the rice and vegetable mixture and place in the glass pan.

Sprinkle stuffed pepper tops with breadcrumbs, and top with tomato sauce before placing in oven.

Bake covered with foil for about 20 minutes, then uncovered for approximately 20 minutes until peppers are softened yet still firm.

Notes: Don’t ever use KRAFT brand long-life, on-the-shelf cheese. Buy the real thing, please – my mom insists.