Unstuffed Peppers

I drove to Grinnell Saturday. Roger was in the garden — the garden that is his whole world now, the 82-year-old man who tends six tomato plants and twelve sunflowers with the same care he once gave four hundred acres. He's slower but he's still Roger. He still watches the crop reports. He still calls Jack on Wednesdays.

The recipe this week: cherry tomato pasta. Standing at the stove, Marlene's wooden spoon in my hand (the cracked one, the one that will outlast us all), the recipe either from the card box or from my own expanding collection, both equally real, both equally mine. The kitchen holds all of it — the old recipes and the new ones, the teacher's food and the student's food, the grief and the joy and the cinnamon. All of it. Always.

The garden at peak production — tomatoes by the bushel, corn taller than Jack (which is saying something now, the boy is tall), peppers in every color, the zucchini in its annual attempt to conquer the neighborhood. I've left three on the neighbors' porch. They know. Everyone knows. The zucchini phase is endured, not discussed.

With the garden at full throttle and peppers coming in every color — more than any one family could ever eat before the next wave arrived — I wanted something that didn’t ask too much of me but still felt like I’d done right by what Roger grew. Unstuffed peppers are the answer I keep coming back to: all the warmth of the classic, none of the fussing, and a good reason to use three peppers at once before they pile up on the counter alongside the zucchini nobody talks about.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
3 bell peppers, any color, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Brown the meat. In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Soften the vegetables. Add the diced onion and chopped bell peppers to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the peppers have softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Build the sauce. Stir in the diced tomatoes (with their juices), tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything evenly.
Add the rice and broth. Pour in the uncooked rice and broth. Stir well, then bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 18–20 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender.
Check and adjust. Remove the lid and stir. If the rice needs another minute or two, replace the lid and cook a bit longer. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Melt the cheese. Scatter the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Replace the lid for 2–3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve. Spoon into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Unstuffed Peppers — The Garden Gives More Than You Can Use