Southwestern Beef and Barley Stuffed Bell Peppers
Southwestern Beef and Barley Stuffed Bell Peppers are a spicy twist on traditional stuffed bell peppers you and your family will love! Packed with hearty ground beef and nutritious barley, these peppers are seasoned with a zesty blend of Southwestern spices that add just the right amount of kick.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 large green bell peppers halved top to bottom and hollowed out
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil plus more to oil the pan or canola oil plus more to oil the pan
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- Salt
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 can (15-ounce) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5-ounce) beef broth
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 pound ground chuck or other form of ground such as sirloin
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- Sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place peppers in an oiled baking dish and bake for 15 minutes.
- Let peppers cool and pour out any water that accumulated in the bottom of the pepper.
- Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add salt to taste and add barley. Cook until al dente (tender but with some bite).
- Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet or saute pan.
- Add the onion and cook 7-8 minutes or until softened.
- Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano and cayenne pepper. Stir, then add tomato sauce and beef broth.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer 1 cup of the sauce to a large bowl and let cool. Add the barley, beef, egg, 1 cup cheese and mix well.
- Fill peppers with equal amounts of the filling. Pour remaining sauce over the peppers, cover with foil and bake 40-45 minutes or until cooked through to 165 degrees in the center.
- Top with cheese, return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Can also use ground chicken or turkey.
- Can also use farro in place of barley.
- For a gluten-free alternative to barley, use white rice.
- Bell peppers, in general, contain a lot of water. Parbaking the green peppers allows some of the water to be extracted.
- Assemble and refrigerate up to 1 day ahead. Ensure your ground beef is super fresh, and don’t go longer than a day without baking the assembled peppers. Raw ground beef becomes hazardous quickly.
- Increase baking time if cold from the refrigerator.
- After baking, cool thoroughly and freeze in smaller portions.
- Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees.
Nutrition
Serving: 4 | Calories: 877kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 66g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 261mg | Sodium: 1082mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g