Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

I know stuffed peppers don’t exactly scream summertime, but with fresh peppers being so abundant at my local farmers markets, I think it’s ok to buck tradition a little. And that’s a good thing, because these Greek-Style stuffed peppers aren’t exactly traditional (at least not based on what I grew up with).

Like many of their peers, these peppers are stuffed with ground beef.  (You can also use turkey.)  Unlike their peers, these peppers are also stuffed with lots of veggies, including fresh, grated zucchini, chopped spinach, garlic, and onions.  Instead of rice, wheat bulgur acts as the binder.  (If you’re not familiar, bulgur is the grain used to make tabbouli.)  On top of the peppers, canned stewed tomatoes make an easy, slightly sweet, and savory sauce.  Crumbles of feta top everything off and add a salty, creamy component to the dish.  Like I said, they may not be traditional, but they are delicious.  They’re even good enough to make me consider turning on my oven in the middle of August.

 

One Year Ago: Calabacitas Casserole

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Adapted from The Food You Crave

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup fine grain wheat bulgur

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 large red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed

2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, chopped with juice reserved

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine beef, spinach, zucchini, onion, bulgur, egg, oregano, salt, and pepper. 

Arrange the peppers cut-side up in the prepared baking dish.  Fill each pepper half with the meat mixture.

Pour the tomatoes and their juice over the peppers.  Sprinkle the feta over the peppers.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue baking until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Serves 6.