Stuffed Bell Popper
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe by:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 extra-large green bell peppers
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup diced yellow onion
  • ½ cup diced green bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 (10-ounce) can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained, such as Ro-Tel
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
  • 4 slices pepper jack cheese
  • 8 strips regular smoked bacon
  • 3 tablespoons red pepper jelly
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, add the potatoes. Fill with water to cover the potatoes and lightly season the water with salt. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water from the potatoes and using a potato ricer, process the potatoes until all lumps are gone. Return the shredded potatoes to the warm pot and stir in butter along with a grind of black pepper. Cover the pot and keep warm
  2. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  3. Slice the bell peppers lengthwise from just above the stem to the end. Remove these caps and dice them for use in the stuffing mix. Using a paring knife, form a deep cavity in the pepper by removing the inside ribs and seeds. Shake out any remaining seeds.
  4. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, diced bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté just until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the drained tomatoes and continue cooking until the flavors come together, another 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool (optionally, place the mixture in the refrigerator to expedite cooling).
  5. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground meats along with the cooled vegetable mixture. Break the egg into the mixture and add the bread crumbs. Using your hands, combine the ingredients so that they mix evenly.
  6. For each bell pepper, add enough of the mashed potatoes in the bottom to cover. Spoon some of the meat mixture to come almost to the top of the pepper cavity, and place pepper jack cheese on top. Next, mound enough of the remaining meat mixture to encase the cheese and create a dome on top. Lay strips of bacon on top.
  7. Place the peppers onto a foil-lined baking tray with just a bit of water to create steam. Cover the tray with the peppers with a sheet of foil closed tightly. Place in the hot oven for 1 hour.
  8. Meanwhile, add the pepper jelly to a microwaveable dish with just a teaspoon of water; microwave on high for about 15 seconds, or until the jelly melts. The glaze should now be brushable.
  9. Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven, and uncover. Brush the bacon and the top of the meat with the pepper jelly glaze. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes, or until the bacon crisps, the glaze sets, and blackened bits begin to appear. Be careful not to burn.
  10. Remove the peppers and serve on individual plates.
Notes
Feel free to buy the individually wrapped, pre-sliced pepper jack cheese, but if you can only find the block cheese, then slice off in thin chunks to ensure melting. Instead of thick-cut, use the regular sliced bacon so that they will bake crispy. For the ground beef, I usually specify 80/20 ground chuck, but not here; the ground pork will lend enough fat and flavor to the mix. I serve this dish with green petit pois peas and yeast rolls, but it really doesn’t need a side dish at all.
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://www.acadianatable.com/?p=24666