Sweet Poppers Marinara

Have you ever wondered what to make for dinner? I would ask my family what they wanted and they would invariably answer “we don’t care, make anything”. In the US we are used to going to the supermarket and shopping for several days at a time. In Europe however, they go to the market daily and buy whatever is fresh and available. Well, the other day I was trying to decide on some vegetables and spotted a bag of mini sweet bell peppers and decided to get creative. I ended up creating a stuffing that was a cross between a meatball and a stuffed pepper. We had a friend over for dinner that night and she said that she could not stop eating them. You can serve them as mini appetizers, at a buffet, or as the entrée at dinner. The best thing about them is that you can make them ahead of time and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them.

 

Makes 24-30 Poppers

½ lb 90% Ground Beef

¼ lb Shredded Fontina Cheese *

1/8 C Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

1/8 C Italian Flavored Bread Crumbs

1 ½ tsp Chopped Fresh Basil *

1 TBS Chopped Fresh Parsley *

1/8 tsp Table Salt

½ tsp Ground Black Pepper

Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper

1 lg Egg

1 lb Sweet Mini Peppers

1 ½ C Marinara Sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl mix the ground beef through the egg until uniform.

Trim the top off of each pepper and clean out any ribs or seeds from the peppers. Using your hands stuff each mini bell pepper with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed peppers in a large baking dish, coated with cooking spray, in a single layer. Pour the marinara over the tops of the peppers, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes or until the peppers are cooked.

* Pronto Substitutes

 

Fontina – Substitute mozzarella for the Fontina.

Fresh Basil – Use ½ tsp dried basil in place of the fresh basil.

Fresh Parsley – Use 1 tsp of dried parsley in place of the fresh parsley

Mini Sweet Bell Peppers

Mini sweet bell peppers were developed through selective plant breeding. The small, “thumb-sized” bell peppers are sweet, mild-flavored and virtually seedless. They are sold in a trio of red, yellow and orange colors and hold texture well after being cooked.

To print this recipe, go to Sweet Poppers Marinara.