These baked stuffed bell peppers are beautiful—red and green and sprinkled with bright white feta. And what’s more, they’re better for you than the peppers mama used to make. White rice is replaced by bulgur. (Did you know that bulgur has twice the fiber of even brown rice? Nevermind white. ‘Nuf said.) And lovely green spinach not only adds color, but also amps up the veggies per serving.
Know up front that these need to bake for a while, but the prep time is very short—so at least you can get stuff done while they’re in the oven. Try these peppers for a touch of comfort food, healthied up!
Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers
1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean or higher)
One 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup bulgur
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Generous sprinkling of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 small red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, core and ribs removed
One 26.46 ounce box of chopped tomatoes (such as Pomi)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the beef, spinach, onion, bulgur, egg, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until combined (hands are best for this!). Arrange the pepper halves cut-side-up in a 9×13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half with the meat mixture. Pour the tomatoes with their juice over the peppers and sprinkle with the feta. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the filling is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 45 minutes longer.
These serve 4, generously. Serve them with some hot buttered orzo and a crisp green salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil on the side.
