By Ken Medei
•
March 30, 2020
Stuffed Sweet Peppers with Beef Ingredients 4-5 Bell Peppers (I prefer the red ones as they’re a bit more tender and sweeter). 2 ½ -3 lbs. Ground Beef (I like chuck as the fat gets soaked into the bread). 4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Cups Italian bread cut into small cubes (Quality gluten-free bread works great too). 1 Cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1 Cup Shredded mozzarella 3 Tbsp. Wine It® TAP Seasoning 1 Cup Simple Marinara sauce (See recipe below) Instructions Heat oil in pan and add beef when just beginning to emit light smoke. Break up ground beef and season with Wine It® TAP. Cook until just done, remove from pan and in a large bowl add cubed bread and then add beef and all its juices over the bread. Set aside and prepare peppers and pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees on Bake setting. You can choose to cut off top, clean our seeds and ribs and stuff whole pepper OR choose to cut pepper in half vertically and stuff each half. Either way, set prepared peppers aside. In bowl with beef and bread add the cheeses, marinara and mix by hand or wooden spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning with Wine It® TAP if needed. Fully fill each pepper to where it mounds over top of pepper and place on sheet pan or shallow baking pan. Leave enough space between peppers so they crisp up a bit during baking. Place peppers in lower third of oven and bake for 35 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Simple Marinara Ingredients 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 2 Whole Cloves peeled garlic Two 28oz of crushed or peeled plum tomatoes. (If plum tomatoes use your hands to squeeze and break them up. • 2 Tbsp of Wine It® TAP All-Purpose Seasoning. (If you don’t have it add salt, black pepper, basil, pat or two of butter and ½ cup dry red wine). Instructions In a large sauté pan heat olive oil and lightly brown garlic. When browned remove and discard garlic. Season with Wine It® TAP. Add tomatoes, bring to soft boil then medium low simmer for about 25 minutes. Notes I like to spray or rub some oil on surface of peppers as it helps to conduct heat for a nice, very slight char.