Stuffed Bell Peppers

This week, we had some extra veggies in our fridge, so we decided to create an easy and hearty recipe that uses up leftovers and reduces food waste!

From Marketplace:

• 1 lb ground beef, defrosted (Lance's Farm Vittles)

• 5 bell peppers, red or green (Josi Farms)

• 1 large carrot (Josi Farms)

• 1/2 onion (Josi Farms)

• 1/4 green cabbage (Josi Farms)

• 1 small-medium zucchini (Fawcett Creek Farm)

• 2 tbsp olive oil (Durant Olive Mill)

Other Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• Fresh ground pepper to taste

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 1 14-oz. can San Marzano tomatoes

• Shredded mozzarella

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Chop the onion and finely dice the carrot, then add to a medium-sized pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes until onions are soft and fragrant.

3. Add in the meat, all of the spices and the chopped garlic, then use a spoon or spatula to chop up the meat and mix in the spices. Cook until the meat has browned, then deglaze the pan with the white wine, making sure to scrape anything that has stuck to the bottom of the pot.

   

4. While that is cooking, chop the cabbage and zucchini into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot. Once the liquid in the pot has evaporated, add in the can of tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes until any extra liquid has evaporated and the meat has developed a nice caramel color. (the zucchini and cabbage does not need to be fully cooked at this point).

   

5. Turn the heat off and prep your peppers. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Fill with the meat mixture, and top with your favorite shredded mozzarella. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the peppers have softened a bit and browned around the edges. Enjoy!