Sometimes, when making stuffed peppers, you’ll end up with leftover meat. The first thing you want to do in this situation is remain calm. Remember: meat is your friend.
To keep your dinner from being ruined, simply form the meat into small balls and cook them alongside the peppers.
Don’t view this as a personal failure. When you end up with meatballs, everybody wins.
Question: What other mistakes have you turned into culinary gold?
Mmmm… now that’s some delicious photography.
I’m not sure how the tasty, but humble, meatball made the leap from “the sauce” into this greener dish. But I don’t care; it just really works. And, unlike some of my recipes, this one has veggies built in. As that Red Stripe spokesman would say: “Hooray veggies!”
Like a cooking version of The Da Vinci Code, this meatball recipe was cleverly hidden inside my Stuffed Peppers recipe from way back. However, instead of stuffing peppers with the meat mixture, you just need to form it into balls and fry ‘em up. Instant gratification.
Well, not exactly “instant.” No matter how hard I try, browning the meatballs in oil still leaves the inside raw. That’s why most people throw them into the tomato sauce while it’s still percolating. It finishes off the cooking process of the meatballs, as well as thickens the sauce.
The same thing goes in this recipe. In fact, instead of removing the meatballs in order to saute the onions, it doesn’t hurt to just push the balls to the side. Then, covering up the whole thing with peas will trap the heat, and cook the meat some more.
A note of caution: always make sure the meatballs are actually done. I usually select the thickest meatball to cut into when I’m ready to serve, just to make sure it’s cooked through.
There’s nothing that can flip your stomach faster than an undercooked meatball. Trust me.
Posted in Cooking, Recipes - Observations
Tagged meatballs, onions, peas, Recipes, stuffed peppers
After storing, reheating and storing again, stuffed peppers can take a beating. It’s especially difficult to microwave them, because they will not heat through in their natural form. So, you’ll probably end up cutting them into little pieces and mixing everything together.
Yeah, I know … it looks messy. But it still tastes like a little slice of heaven.
So, have you all tried this recipe yet? If so, you will have discovered that it’s the bomb! Seriously, it’s just about my favorite meal.
Like most of the recipes that will appear on this blog, it’s a hand-me-down from dear, old Mom. Although, I hope she’s not reading this, because she wouldn’t appreciate being called “old.” But I mean it in the most endearing way possible.
Anyway, since the wife is a semi-vegi (no cows, no pigs), I usually substitute ground turkey for the meatloaf mixture. Maybe I’m too used to it this way, but it’s damn good. Of course, the original formulation will yield a more rich stuffing. You may also need a crash cart.
Generally, I’m a Parmesan freak. I only use the real stuff on pasta (procured from DiBruno Brothers, natch). But when I’m using it more as an ingredient, I have been known to use the tube stuff. I know my Italian relatives are spinning in their grave, but I’ve made my peace with it.
Biggest danger in this recipe: the sauce. Mine tends to be on the soupy side. I need to let the water evaporate off in the last ten minutes to get it back down to an acceptable viscosity.
Let me know how yours turn out.
Ingredients:
Meat Mix
Other
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, egg, salt & pepper and enough of the milk to moisten the mixture. It should be the consistency of cooked oatmeal. Add meat into breadcrumb mixture and combine together with fork or clean hands. Put aside.
Wash peppers. Cut out steam, leaving a round hole big enough to spoon in meat mixture. Clean out all seeds and soft tissue. Stuff peppers with meat.
In a large, coverable skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium flame. Brown stuffed peppers on all sides. Add sliced garlic to pan and saute until softer. Add oregano, tomato sauce and water. Mix ingredients together and reduce heat. Simmer for 1/2 to 1 full hour.
If the sauce is too soupy, cook a little more uncovered until sauce is thicker. To keep sauce from burning, add water a little at a time.
Serve over rice.
Read my observations.
Posted in Recipes
Tagged breadcrumbs, ground meat, parmesan, rice, stuffed peppers
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