I recall stuffed green peppers with some fondness. Despite having to “get over†the vegetable shell, the insides were filled with hamburger meat and tomato sauce, staples of a kid’s diet. I realize there is a traditional dish somewhere from Eastern Europe that is the basis for this mongrelized version reminiscent of my mom’s kitchen…and I make no apologies for not even knowing what a “true†version might be…this is stuffed peppers a la Marketman… To make, select some nice large green peppers with shiny and firm skins. Carefully cut out the stem taking care to keep the “lid†or cover whole if you want points for presentation. Slice of a bit off of the base without puncturing the pepper to make it stand steadily on a plate and remove all of the white pith and seeds inside. Keep lid or stem if desired. Boil a pot of water and submerge the hollowed out peppers and lids for about 2-3 minutes only. Remove blanched peppers and dip in iced water to retain a nice green color. Set aside. Turn on the oven and set the temperature to say 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a sauté pan on the stove top, add some olive or vegetable oil and sauté some chopped onions and a little minced garlic. Add ground sirloin and or ground pork. 
Saute until light brown. Season with oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, basil leaves or whatever strikes your fancy or that you have in stock. Add several tablespoons of tomato paste and chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce (the key is to have concentrated flavor, not meat floating in a watery sauce. You can also add some chopped red capsicum, chilli peppers, etc. to add heat and intensify the flavors. Cook down to thicken the sauce. Add some chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or basil if you have it. Stuff the pepper shells and I like to top the meat with some grated parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the cheese is slightly melted. I know many folks cook this with rice mixed in for a complete meal or dish…I think of the rice as an extender. I don’t add rice because I like to eat my stuffed peppers with a nice serving of boiled white rice. Yum. Sometimes I even add ketchup. It’s the ultimate sloppy joe in a green pepper case eaten with rice…yipes, purists are probably rolling their eyes and shaking their heads!
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My mom has this recipe in her arsenal, too, and I ate it lots while growing up. My grandmother used to coat the peppers in egg as well –I’ve never perfected the technique!
Perfect timing, MM! Hubby harvested the first batch of green peppers last night and I was just thinking of what to do with them. Thanks!
We roast then peel the peppers instead of blanching them. Gives a nice, smokey flavor.
I agree Cecile J, roasting them gives them that smokey flavor, kinda the same way with tortang talong, they taste better roasted than boiled. Coating them with egg also makes them extra yummy. I don’t use rice in it too, it’s more of a preference, I just don’t like the rice in it.
I haven’t made this dish in a while. Guess, what’s for dinner tomorrow.
This looks so good! I want to try them!! Yum!!
yes roasting and peeling is definitely the way to go. and coating with egg makes em somewhat similar to a popular mexican dish, chiles rellenos.
I have to try the roasted version…sounds good. I just have to make sure that I don’t overdo it so I puncture the capsicum skins… thanks, everyone!
The chile rellenos that I usually order from Mexican restaurants uses poblano peppers and lots of queso fresco (some kind of white Mexican cheese) or Monterey Jack cheese. They usually serve it with Mexican rice, shredded lettuce with a scoop of sour cream on top, guacamole and salsa. Really good, plus the poblano is a bit spicy in contrast to sweet bell peppers but not extremely fiery either. For someone like me who loves spicy food, it is actually not spicy at all. LOL.
I do this with the roasted version with egg coating as well. The smoky flavor makes a difference.
mik, Beat the yolk and whites separately, coat with the yolk first, then the white, then fry. This gives the peppers a more appetizing coat.
My mom used to call this “rellenong pimiento”. Serve with hot rice and lots of ketchup.
Looked this recipe up as am cooking it for lunch today — thanks Kulasa :) I was planning on baking it sans the egg but I think I might try it again :D