Keto-Friendly Stuffed Bell Peppers
With bonus variation!
Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers
Bonus: Farro Variation
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Time: Depends on how organized you are...
Roughly 35-45 min start to finish
Ingredients:
2 of each: Red, yellow, and green bell peppers, de-seeded with tops removed
Butter or oil to lubricate pan
Ground beef (1 package)
Ground sausage (½ package)
2 Yellow onions, diced finely
3 Cloves of garlic, put through the garlic press
2 Bay leaves
1 Jar of tomato puree (16 oz or ½ L is more than enough)
1 T Cumin (15-20 grams)
2 T Oregano or “Italian Seasoning Mix” (about 30 grams) [Optional]
Salt & Pepper, to taste
⅛ tsp Cayenne (less than a gram) [Optional]
Shredded cheddar or colby jack to top, (if desired, but recommended!)
Directions:
Turn your oven on to 200 degree celsius or 375 degrees fahrenheit.
Take the beef and sausage, toss it in a cast iron skillet, and brown it over medium heat (with a bit of butter or olive oil in the pan to preserve the life of the cast iron. Personally, I think the taste is superior with about 1-2 T (about 15-30 grams) butter, but many people like the healthy factor that oil allows. You pick!)
After the meat starts to brown and stops looking pink and raw, add the onions and garlic.
Cook over medium-low heat until the onions become slightly translucent, roughly 5 minutes.
Add the bay leaves, tomato puree, and spices. Simmer over medium-low or low heat until the mixture decreases in liquidity (becomes thicker) by about ⅓. This should take at least 10 minutes. Try not to burn the deliciousness - stir regularly, and turn heat to low if needed.
Take the bay leaves out - no one wants to eat a bay leaf.
Fill your pepper cups with the meaty mixture, place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, give or take. [*Note* If you like mushier peppers, pop them into the microwave for 10 minutes before filling with the meat mixture. Otherwise, the peppers will be soft with a slight crunch.]
Top with shredded cheddar cheese or shredded colby jack (if desired) and bake 5 minutes longer, until the cheese gets all melty.
Remove from the oven carefully, let sit a minute or two, and then devour.
Farro Variation:
Similar to the above, but with farro.
Why farro:
It is a superb alternative to rice, healthier for the heart & body, with a much better chew, and an overall nutty flavor. Truly a spectacular grain.
Additional step:
Undercook the farro using the package directions minus 2 minutes, and mix in 2-3 spoonfuls of the cooked farro into each pepper cup. It is ok if it is not thoroughly mixed, because the farro has a tendency to float up to the top anyway, and you don’t want to over-cook it and have it get all gluey.