Cheesy Stuffed Bell Peppers with Five Bean Salad
Food photography and recipe creation by Abby Mosler. Find her on Instagram @sweetrindandsalt
Ingredients
6 bell peppers (peppers with a somewhat flat base that can sit upright work the best)
4 tbsp. olive oil (or other cooking oil), divided
1 small to medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef (I use 80/20 but any would work)
2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup cooked rice
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups Paisley Farm Five Bean Salad, drained
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9”x13” baking dish and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Warm about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion along with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Next, add the ground beef and Italian seasoning to the onions and stir until well combined. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the beef is no longer pink. When the ground beef is cooked through, stir in the tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and let cook 5 minutes until the mixture has slightly thickened. After about five minutes, stir in the cooked rice.
- Pull the skillet off the heat and stir in the ricotta and parmesan cheese mixture until well combined. Next, add the Paisley Farm Five Bean Salad and gently fold into the ground beef mixture. At this point, you can taste the filling and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- While the ground beef mixture is cooling, wash the bell peppers and slice off the tops (if you like, you can reserve the tops to be roasted with the bell peppers – These can work to help prop the bell peppers upright in the baking dish and look great for presentation!).
- Remove the core and seeds from the peppers. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and rub the oil over the inside and outside of the peppers. Sprinkle a small amount of salt and pepper over all sides of the bell peppers as well.
- Fill the peppers evenly with the ground beef mixture and place in your prepared baking dish. If the dish is slightly too large and the peppers don’t want to stay upright, you can use the tops to help prop them up. Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the dish. Cover with aluminum foil or a lid and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the bell peppers and sprinkle the tops evenly with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve immediately and enjoy!
