Oven-baked stuffed peppers are a typical dish of Calabrian cuisine, and the filling can vary; this time I filled them with a meat filling, but they are also excellent with tuna or rice filling as for tomatoes. Preparing oven-baked peppers stuffed with meat is very simple, but it is necessary to prepare a perfect mix to make them really good, so they are flavorful and also soft.
There is only one way to prepare a perfect mix, using all the ingredients for a perfect meatball mix, so even the oven-baked stuffed peppers, or also cooked in a pan. To the classic version, I added one more ingredient, a bit of cheese that melts into the mix, making them tastier.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Summer, Autumn
Ingredients for Oven-Baked Stuffed Peppers
- 2 Bell Peppers (large)
- 11 oz Beef (ground)
- 1 slice Rustic Bread
- 1 Egg
- 1 slice Cheese (Type galbanino)
- to taste Parsley
- to taste Parmesan Cheese
- to taste Pecorino Cheese
- to taste Salt
- to taste Black Pepper
- to taste Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic
Tools to Prepare Oven-Baked Stuffed Peppers
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Knife
- 1 Garlic Press
- 1 Baking Tray
Preparation of Oven-Baked Stuffed Peppers
Let’s prepare the mix for the pepper stuffing, a sort of meatball mix enriched with cheese; I used galbanino, but other cheeses like mozzarella, provolone, or scamorza are also fine.
Soak the rustic bread in room temperature water, preferably a bit stale, a few days old.
In a bowl, place the ground meat, the egg, a bit of grated cheese, pecorino and parmesan, parsley, black pepper, salt, very finely crushed garlic, and finally the well-squeezed and crumbled bread. Work with your hands to obtain a homogeneous loaf. At this point, cut a nice thick slice of cheese, dice it, and incorporate it into the mix.
Wash the peppers, cut them in half, being careful to detach the green part, as we will fill all 4 parts, so eliminate as little as possible to avoid leaving a huge hole, and if necessary, you can also close it with a piece of pepper, which you can remove by cutting a ring from the same. If the peppers are small, there’s no need to cut them in half, but open them at the base and empty them well, removing the seeds and internal filaments, and fill them with the mix. You can also lightly salt the peppers first to give them even more flavor.
Transfer to a baking tray, add a drizzle of oil, half a glass of water, pepper, and a few more pieces of cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes at 392°F. Remove from oven and serve our oven-baked stuffed peppers. They are also excellent reheated or to be enjoyed cold if there are any left over; they can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days, well sealed.
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Notes
If there is leftover filling, you can make some meatballs, to be baked in the oven, or you can use it to stuff other vegetables you have in the pantry, as I did; I also prepared some zucchini, raw, and cooked directly in the oven.
