Sweet bell peppers are stuffed with a very tasty beef filling and topped with queso fresco and pico de gallo, forming the green, white, red pattern that I love so much! This is a tasty and quick-to-make weeknight meal, which is also pretty enough to serve to company.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Cooking spray for the baking dish

　　4 large green bell peppers

　　1/2 pound ground beef

　　2 tablespoons chopped onion

　　1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

　　1 cup dried bread crumbs

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

　　1/2 to 1 cup grated or crumbled queso fresco (about 2 to 4 ounces), for serving (see page 152)

　　Pico de Gallo (page 20), for serving

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.

　　

Step 2

Cut a thin slice from the stem end of each green pepper. Pull out the core, remove the seeds, and rinse the peppers inside and out. Add the peppers to the boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the beef and onion. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a spoon, until mostly browned with some pink left, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.

　　

Step 4

Stuff the peppers lightly with the meat mixture and put the tops on. Stand them upright in the baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

　　

Step 5

To serve, sprinkle each stuffed pepper with queso fresco and top with a spoonful of pico de gallo.

　　Eva's Kitchen