Saucy Veggie Holiday Stuffed Peppers
By
Connie Tucker
@justshootme
13
Ingredients
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3bell peppers (i use red and green this time of year!), halved lengthwise, and seeded
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1 8 oz pkgtempeh (i like the one with flax seed), crumbled, available in the veggie produce aisle
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6 largefresh button mushrooms, chopped
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1medium onion, diced
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3 Tbspprogresso italian bread crumbs
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2 Tbspextra-virgin olive oil
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1 24 oz. can(s)hunt's original spaghetti sauce (or make your own--even better)
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1/2 cgrated parmesan cheese like 4c parm
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1 cshredded mozzarella cheese
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Salt pinch1
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Pepper pinch1
How to Make Saucy Veggie Holiday Stuffed Peppers
- 1. Preheat oven to 375°.
- 1. Blanch seeded pepper halves by boiling five minutes. Handle carefully with tongs. Shock in icewater. Drain well.
- 3. In a large skillet, place olive oil, and heat on medium till shimmering; add onions and garlic,, stirring often, for about four minutes till soft. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Add tempeh and press with a fork to improve the crumble texture.
- 4. Add mushrooms and ½ cup reserved sauce, stirring to coat.
- 5. Add bread crumbs, ¼ cup of the parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir well.
- 6. Fill pepper halves with tempeh mixture, dividing evenly. Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes or till sauce is bubbling and peppers are tender.
- 7. Mix mozzarella with remaining parmesan. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese mixture; return to oven till cheese is melted and browning. Serve orzo pasta topped with a pepper half or two and a dollop of sauce.
- Variation:
If you need to double the servings to six peppers (12 halves), you can increase the filling without needing more tempeh by adding 6-8 more mushrooms, a can of well-drained petite diced tomatoes, and a half bag of washed baby spinach. Increase oil to 3 Tbs and double the breadcrumbs and cheese. Cooked rice can also help stretch it.