Stuffed peppers are a healthy and versatile dish because you can choose to put a variety of ingredients as the “stuffing”. Traditional stuffing is made usually with ground meat, cheese and some veggies but I like to make my own version that is both vegetarian and gluten-free. Another great thing about this stuffed pepper dish is that you can make it either on the stove or in a crockpot.
Ingredients: (serving size=6)
- 6 bell peppers
- 8 oz of organic frozen spinach (preferably whole leaf)
- 6 oz of organic cottage cheese
- 2 cups of cooked brown rice
- 2 eggs
- 4 mushrooms, diced
- 1 cup of corn
- 1 cup of carrots, diced
- 1/4 cup of onions, diced
- parsley, chopped
- 4 cups of vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tbsp of pepper flakes
- Options: parmesan cheese, grated
Crockpot Directions:
- Cook the brown rice either in a rice cooker or on the stove top. Do this few hours early or the night before (you can refrigerate the rice).
- Cut the tops off the bell pepper and removed all the seeds and ribs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and carrots. Cook until the onions become translucent.
- Add the mushrooms, spinach and corn. Cover the skillet and let it cook in low-medium heat until the frozen spinach is melted (~3 min).
- Add the cooked rice and season with pepper flakes and salt
- Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix the 2 eggs, then add the mix into the rest of the stuffing.
- Add chopped parsley, cottage cheese. Blend and season the mix with pepper.
- Place the stuffed peppers (with the opening facing up) into the crock pot.
- Using a spoon fill each of the peppers with the “stuffing”.
- Add the vegetable stock to the base of the crockpot. Avoid adding any liquid to the inside of the pepper.
- Option: top each of the stuffed peppers with grated parmesean.
- Cook the stuffed peppers on high heat for 3 hours.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Stop Top Directions:
- Cook the brown rice either in a rice cooker or on the stove top. Do this few hours early or the night before (you can refrigerate the rice).
- Cut the tops off the bell pepper and removed all the seeds and ribs. The split the peppers into half vertically.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and carrots. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the mushrooms, spinach and corn. Cover the skillet and let it cook in low-medium heat until the frozen spinach is melted. (~3 min)
- Add the cooked rice and season with pepper flakes and salt
- Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix the 2 eggs, then add the mix into the rest of the stuffing.
- Add chopped parsley, cottage cheese. Blend and season the mix with pepper.
- In a separate skillet, add ~1 tbsp of olive oil and place the stuffed peppers the skillet. Let it cook in medium heat ~3 mins.
- Turn off the stove, and using a spoon fill each of the peppers with the “stuffing”.
- Add the vegetable stock to the base of the pan. Avoid adding any liquid to the inside of the pepper.
- Option: top each of the stuffed peppers with grated parmesean.
- Put a lid over the skillet and cook the stuffed peppers on low heat for ~30 minutes or until the liquids are gone.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
-NZ