These bison-stuffed bell peppers are a colorful family dinner, with rice and a hearty vegetable-filled meat sauce. For Halloween, carve little jack-o’-lantern faces into the peppers before filling—the kids loved making theirs.
A QUICK NOTE
The 2 pounds of bison may make more filling than you need for 6–8 peppers. Serve the extra meat and rice on the side, or scale the batch to your family. We often make extra for leftovers.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds ground bison or ground meat of choice
2½ cups frozen sweet corn
2 celery stalks, thinly chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
¾ cup salsa (I used mango habanero)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1–2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, to taste
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
6–8 bell peppers, preferably red, orange, or yellow
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the rice using your preferred method. I use a Ninja Foodi with a 1:1 rice-to-water ratio, cooking at high pressure for 3 minutes followed by a 10-minute natural release.
2. Brown the bison in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until almost cooked through. Drain excess fat if needed. Add the corn, celery, onion, zucchini, and garlic; cook until the vegetables soften.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salsa, basil, oregano, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper, then simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked and the flavors combine.
4. Meanwhile, cut the tops from the peppers and remove the ribs and seeds. Leave them upright or cut them in half like boats. For Halloween, carve faces into the upright peppers before filling.
5. Lightly season the insides with salt. Place the peppers in a microwave-safe dish with ¼ cup water, cover with a microwave-safe lid, and microwave for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened.
6. Transfer the peppers to a 3-quart baking dish or larger pan. Spoon a little cooked rice into each pepper, then add the bison filling. Serve any extra filling and rice on the side.
7. Sprinkle the peppers with shredded cheese and bake for about 20 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted. Serve hot.
Jack-O-Lantern fun! Jerett snuck the baby in haha
This was Zoey’s!
And this was Gavin’s!
They got to practice with their toddler knives.
Concentrating :)
