Ali's Kitchen: Stuffed Peppers

Big, beautiful summer peppers stuffed with ground poultry, smoked mozzarella and fresh basil. Mixed with rice, seasonings and tomatoes to elevate this to a spectacular comfort food. It's a healthy dish that is so well received with family and guests. Easy to make ahead, and serve with your favorite marinara sauce.

This recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Ingredients

1 lb of ground turkey or ground chicken
3/4 cup, approximately, of smoked mozzarella, shredded
1 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup of rice, uncooked
4 medium-large peppers or six if smaller
1/2 cup of grated cheese, Romano or Parmesan
fresh basil, cleaned, leaves torn
1 tbsp. of fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. of thyme if available, chopped (otherwise use 1/2 tsp. of dry)
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
15-20 oz of chopped tomatoes
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes, to make a sauce
breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
olive oil
salt, pepper, red Aleppo flakes if available

Directions

Prepare a large dutch-oven with plenty of water and one tbsp. of salt.

Clean peppers, slice the tops off with a serrated knife, 3/4-1 inch from the top. Remove ribs and seeds. When water is boiling, drop peppers in for five minutes, with lid on. Remove peppers and let drain on paper towel lined cookie sheet upside down, to continue steaming.

Now, add rice to boiling water. Boil for 13 minutes at a medium boil. Drain well in a mesh strainer, and lay out on a sheet pan to cool.

Warm a large skillet with 2 tbsp. of olive oil, salt and pepper. Hold back a little onion and garlic for tomato sauce. When ready, brown meat and onion, adding minced garlic during last minute of cooking. Remove from heat, set aside in large bowl. Add chopped tomatoes, and let cool.

While waiting for things to cool a bit. Pre-heat the oven at 350. Make your tomato sauce with the reserved onion and garlic, few basil leaves and crushed tomatoes. Saute onion and garlic in two tbsp. of olive oil for three minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, and basil. Add a salt, pepper and a little sugar, let simmer for thirty minutes.

Prepare breadcrumbs, if using homemade.

Now, add cheeses and basil to meat mixture. Add spoonfuls of rice until the mix looks plentiful. You don't want the rice to overpower the mixture. Add plenty of salt and pepper to taste, to the mixture. Be generous, the rice will soak up the seasonings. Taste and recorrect.

Now, spoon the mix in the prepared peppers in a ovenproof baking dish with a little side for balance.

Be generous with mix. Really pack it in the peppers. Sprinkle tops with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle extra grated cheese, if desired. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake prepared peppers at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool, and serve with tomato sauce spooned around the pepper.