Stuffed Bell Peppers

My grandmother used to make the best stuffed bell peppers, never greasy or dry and perfect in the winter when was rainy and raw in New Orleans. This is my best attempt at capturing the soul of her dish. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 bell peppers
1/2 stick butter, plus 1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, large and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 toes garlic, diced
2 lbs. ground beef, turkey, chicken, pork or veal (you may also use crab and shrimp)
4 cups bread crumbs (seasoned are best)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove stems and seeds; set aside. Melt butter in skillet and add olive oil; sautee onion, celery mixture. Add garlic for last two minutes of sautee time, sautee mixture until vegetables are wilted. Add ground meat or seafood and completely cook mixture (seafood will only a take around two minutes). Add bread crumbs and season mixture with salt, pepper and creole seasoning. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Work in the eggs into stuffing mixture, its best to temper the eggs with some of the mixture first in case it’s too warm; you don’t want to scramble the eggs. Adjust seasoning if necessary and begin spooning mixture into the bell pepper shells. Place them in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle some extra bread crumbs on top of each and add a pat of butter to top for a golden brown crust (optional).

Bake dish in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until the shells are tender. Serves 6.

Another option that I like is to add some red gravy to the top. If the stuffing is too dry add some vegetable or beef stock to the mixture. These make good meals unto themselves.

Technorati Tags: Creole, Food, Main Dish