These stuffed peppers are inspired by a meal that was given to me by Eva, a lovely Hungarian cook. My peppers aren't perfectly authentic, but rather are adapted to ingredients readily available in the United States.
¼ teaspoonTony Chachere's Creole Seasoningor spicy seasoning blend of your choice
1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
For the Sauce
1Tablespoonolive oil
1onion, diced
1 and ¼teaspoonsaltdivided
¼teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoningor spicy seasoning blend of your choice
4clovesgarlic, minced or grated
128 oz cantomato puree
1teaspoonsugar
½teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1-2teaspoonsbalsamic vinegarfor adding at the end of cooking
1quartchicken stockthe amount of liquid needed will vary
Garnish
sour cream
Instructions
To Stuff the Peppers
Cut the tops off of the peppers. Using a long, thin knife remove the core and as much of the ribs of the peppers as you can. Don't be too worried about perfection here. Set hollowed out peppers aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked rice, corn, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Creole seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce and mix until fully combined. Your hands are the best tool for this. Get in there.
With your fingers, stuff the filling mixture into the peppers. You'll want to over-stuff them, but resist. There's no need to over-stuff.
There will be quite a bit of filling left over. With this filling, form little meatballs with your hands. Set aside, and prepare the sauce.
For the Sauce
In a large Dutch oven set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Sauté the diced onions until translucent, about 10 minutes. You may need to decrease the heat after a few minutes. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ of Tony Chachere's seasoning (or another spicy seasoning blend) to the onions about halfway through cooking.
Add the 4 cloves of minced or grated garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add tomato puree, sugar, black pepper, and bay leaf to the pot.
Add the stuffed peppers and the extra filling meatballs to the sauce.
Add enough chicken stock to cover the peppers and meatballs.
Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid on, but slid slightly to one side for between 1 and ½ to 2 hours. Check at 1 and ½ hours and see if you like the doneness. The peppers should be able to easily be pierced through with a fork.
Serve peppers with sour cream and extra meatballs from the sauce.
Notes
I prefer Anaheim peppers for this recipe, but you can substitute bell peppers if you wish. Anaheim peppers can be a little bit spicy, but most of them are mild.