Chicken stuffed peppers

By á-2428

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 7 tbsp rice, long grain
• 4 yellow or red sweet peppers, halved lengthwise, deseeded
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 tbsp butter, unsalted
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 400 g ground chicken, or ground turkey
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper [optional]
• salt to taste
• ground pepper to taste
• 5 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated
• 5 tsp Italian parsley, fresh [optional]

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 50mins

Preparation

Step 1

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.

Cook the rice.

Prepare the vegetables : Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, then remove the seeds; finely chop the onion; cut the celery into small pieces.

Heat half of the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion then sauté 3-4 min until lightly coloured and soft, paying attention not to let it burn. Add the celery and sauté 2 more min, then remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.

Add the remaining butter and oil to the skillet, then add the ground chicken meat. Sear about 4-5 min over medium-high heat until the meat looses its red colour, with stirring. When the meat is golden-coloured, put the cooked onion and celery back into the pan. Pour in the broth, then add the paprika and cayenne pepper (if desired). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked rice and mix well.

Fill the pepper halves with the meat-rice mixture, dividing and slightly mounding it equally among the halves. Arrange the stuffed peppers in a baking dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the stuffed peppers. To keep the environment moist during baking, pour just a little water in the bottom of the dish (between ½ and 1 cup, depending on the dish size).

Bake the peppers, uncovered, in the middle of the oven until the tops are browned, about 30 min.

Serve immediately. The presentation may be brightened up by sprinkling some chopped parsley on top of the peppers.

Remarks
The peppers may be stuffed 1 day ahead, then covered and chilled in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, sprinkle them with the cheese, pour water in the dish, then bake.

The prepared, stuffed peppers may also be baked ahead of time, then warmed up 15 min in the oven at 120°C/250°F before serving.