A fast, easy and super yummy iftar is what we all dream about (for those who cook). Stuffed peppers is a great solution for you if you’re really struggling with what to prepare for iftar. It is easy and you can use almost everything you want. You can fill the peppers with any combination you prefer; meat, beans, sauces and so on. And the beauty of this recipe is that you can also easily prepare it for suhoor alsa if you have any leftover food from iftar such as beans,roast chicken or quinoa.
The preparation time of this recipe is 20 minutes while cooking one hour. And while it is cooking, you can take advantage of pre – iftar precious time and make duaas.
For this recipe you will need:
- 8 medium red, yellow, or orange bell peppers (about 4 pounds total)
- 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese (4 ounces)
- Cooking spray
- Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Start by heating the oven and then prepare the baking dish. Heat the oven to 375°F and meanwhile, prepare the peppers and filling.
- Use a small knife to cut a wide circle around each bell pepper stem to remove the tops. Chop the tops and set aside because you’ll use them in the filling. Season the inside of each pepper generously with salt and pepper. Place the peppers into the baking dish, wedging them together as needed to fit in one layer; set aside.
- Now cooking the filling. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add chopped onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning and chopped garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the ground beef, diced pepper tops, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook on medium-high heat, breaking the meat up with a spatula as it cooks, until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice and drained tomatoes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Now is time to stuff the peppers. Evenly divide the mixture among the peppers. Sprinkle the cheese over the peppers. Carefully pour 1 cup of water between the peppers into the baking dish.
- Cover and bake until tender. Spray one side of a large sheet with aluminum foil with cooking spray. Place it sprayed-side down over the peppers and cover the baking dish tightly. Bake until the peppers are softened but not mushy and the filling is heated through, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with scallions if desired before serving.
Enjoy it!