Perfect Dutch Oven Stuffed Green Peppers
Summer is here and it's a perfect time to take the family on a fun camping trip! Dutch ovens are a great way to cook some of your favorite recipes on vacation. What you might not know is that it's also a good way to cook food any time of year at home or on vacation. One recipe I love to make year round are my Perfect Dutch Oven Stuffed Green Peppers.
I love exploring and using different cooking methods, and I personally feel that stuffed green peppers get more depth of flavor when cooked in a Dutch oven.
First, heat a pot of salted boiling water. Cut off the tops of your green peppers. Remove the seeds and membranes. Blanche each green pepper for a few minutes in the boiling water then remove to a platter.
Prepare one cup cooked brown or white rice. Leftover rice is a great option for this recipe, or take a cup from your weekly meal prep to use. You can also pick up some of the prepared rice at the store to save time.
Chop one large onion and add to a preheated large fry pan with olive oil. Cook until softened. Add minced garlic, and cook until fragrant.
If you are cooking in the Dutch oven instead of a conventional oven, this would be a good time to get your coals ready. You should expect to have the coals started when you have about thirty minutes left until you are ready to cook. Mr. Monday Is Meatloaf loves to do this step for me, and I love that he does! 😉
Next, add in the ground beef. Season with garlic salt, pepper, and seasoned salt to taste. Cook until no longer pink. Add one can of undrained diced tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce to the ground beef with a pinch of sugar. I love heartburn...said no one ever! So please don't forget this step. If you find you have to much grease, this can skimmed off with a spoon.
Once this has cooked for about ten minutes, add in the cheese, and stir until melted.
Add your green peppers to the Dutch oven or casserole dish, and fill each one to the top with the ground beef cheese mixture.
Top with condensed tomato soup. I actually add a pinch of sugar to the tomato soup as well. I bet you can't wait until these Perfect Dutch Oven Stuffed Green Peppers are ready to eat!
Cover, and take your Dutch oven outside. Line the rim on the outside of the lid with coals, and put coals beneath the pot. I double-up my Dutch ovens because I had to many stuffed peppers, and added some baby Yukon Gold potatoes to the pot. Roasted potatoes make a great side for this dish! Just add a little chicken broth to the bottom, and season with salt and pepper.
Note: If cooking in a conventional oven, preheat your oven to 375-degrees. Place uncovered stuffed peppers in oven to cook.Â
We are going to cook the peppers for about 40 minutes in the Dutch oven. Halfway through the cooking time the lids and pots will need to turned one half turn. Be sure to check the Perfect Dutch Oven Stuffed Green Peppers to make sure nothing is overcooking. If your ovens seem to hot, coals can always be removed.
Once cooked, remove coals from Dutch ovens. Take Dutch ovens inside, and let rest for about 10 minutes prior to serving.
Note: If cooking in a conventional oven the cooking time is the same.Â
I usually make extra as these are great leftover for a quick weeknight meal where I don't have to do anything except reheat in the microwave!
Perfect Dutch Oven Stuffed Green Peppers can be served immediately with roasted baby potatoes, mashed potatoes, or by themselves! Will keep in an airtight container for up to one week.
Recipe
Perfect Dutch Oven Stuffed Green Peppers
Ingredients
- 8 whole green peppers
- 1 cup cooked brown or white rice
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- Garlic salt, pepper, and seasoned salt to taste
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups Colby & Monterey Jack shredded cheese
- 2 Pinch of sugar
- 1 can condensed tomato soup two may be necessary to cover
Instructions
- Prepare rice. Heat a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove tops, membranes, and seeds from green peppers. Blanch each green pepper for about 3 minutes, and remove to plate. Salt the inside of each pepper lightly.
- Chop onion, and add to preheated large fry pan with olive oil. Cook until softened. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add ground beef to pan, and cook until no longer pink.
- Add tomatoes, rice, and Worcestershire sauce to ground beef mixture with a pinch of sugar. Cook about ten minutes. Add cheese to pan, and stir until melted. If to stringy you can add a little water to the pan.
- Place green peppers in Dutch oven. Fill each one with ground beef cheese mixture.
- Add a pinch of sugar to canned condensed tomato soup. Top stuffed green peppers.
- Prepare coals for Dutch oven in chimney coal starter. Lead time of thirty minutes. If cooking in conventional oven preheat oven to 375-degrees.
- Place cover on Dutch oven, and line rim of pot with coals. Put enough coals on the bottom to cover area beneath the Dutch oven. Cook for 20 minutes then turn one half turn, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Conventional oven cook time is the same.
- Remove coals, and bring Dutch oven inside to cool for about ten minutes prior to serving.