Stuffed Peppers, Large Family Style

Shopping List
to make a dozen bean filled and a dozen meat filled peppers.

2 dozen bell peppers, any color (green is usually less expensive)
3 lbs. lean ground beef
Rice, enough to make 6 cup cooked, brown or white, but brown is healthier

2-15 oz can chili beans

5-16 oz tomato sauce

2/3 + 6 Tab. cup onion, finely chopped
1 Tab. salt

5 cups shredded cheese, such as Monterrey Jack or Mozzarella cheese -you need this only when you serve the peppers

chili powder, optional


To Make the Stuffed Peppers

Remove tops, membranes and seeds from peppers. Chop tops and set aside.

Cook rice to make 5 cups cooked.

Label one large plastic bags (2-2 1/2 gallon) "Bean Stuffed Peppers and one " Meat Stuffed Peppers."

Now make the peppers:

Bean Stuffed Peppers

2-16 oz tomato sauce

2/3 cup onion, finely chopped

12 bell peppers, any color

2 cup brown rice cooked

2-15 oz can chili beans

3 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tab. salt

2 cup shredded cheese

chili powder, optional

Put 1 can of tomato sauce in a Crock-Pot or baking dish, along with 1/4 of the chopped pepper parts and the chopped onions.

In a medium bowl stir together rice, garlic, salt and undrained beans; spoon into peppers. Place @6 peppers, filled side up in a Crock-Pot for dinner tonight and the rest in an aluminum baking dish or wrap the remaining peppers individually in plastic wrap. Set aside while you make the meat filled peppers.

Meat Stuffed Peppers

12 large bell peppers (any color)

3 lbs. lean ground beef

6 Tablespoons chopped onion

Any type of rice, enough to make 3 cups cooked

1 Tab. salt

3 clove garlic, finely chopped

3 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce.

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain, if necessary. Stir in rice, salt, garlic and 3 cups of the tomato sauce; cook until hot. Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Place peppers, filled side up in an aluminum baking dish or wrap peppers individually in plastic wrap. Usually, I make six peppers for the freezer and 6 to eat at dinner.

Or, For Those you Want to Cook Tonight
Pour half the remaining tomato sauce in the Crock-Pot or a baking dish and half in a baggie. Add 1/4 of the chopped pepper tops into the Crock-Pot and 1/4 in the baggie. At lunchtime, place peppers in a crockpot over the sauce and peppers. Four to six fit comfortably in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 6 1/2 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. In the last 15 minutes, sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese per pepper. If desired, sprinkle the meat filled peppers with chili powder.

If you are cooking them in the oven, heat oven to 350° F. Cover baking dish tightly with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese per pepper and bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender.  If desired, sprinkle the meat filled peppers with chili powder.

To Freeze Them
Put the individually wrapped peppers or baking dish in the labeled plastic bags.

Put the sealed tomato sauce with peppers in with the bags of stuffed peppers.

To Cook Them For Dinner
The night before you want to serve them, take out the amount of peppers you want to eat for dinner and the appropriate amount of tomato sauce mixture and let them defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

At lunchtime, place peppers in a crockpot or a baking dish. Four to six fit comfortably in a crock pot. Pour a bag of the defrosted tomato sauce on top the peppers, one bag for six. 

If you are cooking them in the crockpot, cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 6 1/2 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. In the last 15 minutes, sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese per pepper. If desired, sprinkle the meat filled peppers with chili powder.

If you are cooking them in the oven, heat oven to 350° F. Cover baking dish tightly with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese per pepper and bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender.  If desired, sprinkle the meat filled peppers with chili powder.