Artichoke Heart Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed red peppers are simple, using only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of hands on time.  The end result is bold in flavor, with creamy, cheesy provolone, slightly acidic artichoke hearts, and a hint of heat from the green pepper sauce.  To create a hearty dinner, serve this over polenta or rice.  This would also make a nice side accompanying chicken or pork.

I’m always happy when I can coax a lot of flavor from only a few ingredients and very little time – especially so where the dish is a great candidate to freeze.  Simple freeze a single pepper it in a snug-fitting Tupperware, and you can remove it the night before to the refrigerator so it is defrosted by lunch time the next day.  Pop it in the microwave and you have a delicious main component of a lunch.

Artichoke Heart Stuffed Peppers

4 Red Carmen peppers (or other long, narrow, sweet pepper)

1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped

1/3 cup provolone, shredded

2 tbs. mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. green jalapeño pepper sauce, such as Arizona Gunslinger or Tabasco brand (or 1 tbs. minced jalapeño)

1 tbs. garlic powder

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350º.

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Add the peppers and spray to coat with non-stick spray.  Place in oven and roast, turning once or twice, about 20 minutes until slightly tender but not fully roasted.

Set aside to let cool, but leave the oven on.

Mix together artichoke hearts, provolone, mayonnaise, pepper sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.

Once peppers are cool enough to handle, cut through 3/4 of the top to create a “flap.”  Reach in and remove seeds.  Using a spoon (or your hands) stuff the filling into the peppers, leaving about 1/2″ at the top.  Return to the casserole dish, closing the top “flap” of the peppers.

Bake 30-40 minutes until peppers are lightly charred and the filling is heated through.  Serve immediately.

Polenta Stuffed Green Peppers

I loved any variation on a stuffed pepper.  I remember one of my favorite  meals as a kid being my mom’s green peppers, stuffed with ground beef and rice in a tomato sauce.  I also couldn’t get enough of my dad’s stuffed Hungarian hots, which are spicy and delicious.  These polenta stuffed green peppers are a lot closer to my mom’s version, but I switched it up by stuffing the peppers with a mixture of creamy, cheesy polenta, tomatoes, and corn.  The peppers were tender with just a bit of a bite, soft enough to be cut with a fork but with enough of a crunch to act as a great foil to the creamy polenta.  These are also great for a busy week, since they can be assembled quickly when you have a few spare minutes and then popped in the oven an hour or so before you want to eat.

Polenta Stuffed Green Peppers

2 large green bell peppers, tops removed, stems and seeds discarded

4 cups homemade chicken stock (you can use any stock you want.  If you use vegetable, this will be a vegetarian-friendly dish.  I used chicken stock because it is what I had on hand)

1 1/2 cups polenta

1/4 cup 1% milk

2 tbs. plain Greek yogurt

1 tbs. Brummel & Brown

1/2 cup Dubliner cheese, shredded

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1/4 cup corn kernels, defrosted if frozen

1 pint canned tomatoes (I used my dad’s canned garden tomatoes, which are to-die-for)

Preheat oven to 400º.

Bring chicken stock to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium sauce pan.  Slowly whisk in polenta and reduce heat to low.  Simmer, stirring frequently, until mostly thickened, about 25-30 minutes.  Stir in milk, yogurt, Brummel & Brown, and cheese.  Continue simmering over low heat until Brummel & Brown and cheese is melted.  Stir in corn and grape tomatoes.  Set aside.

While polenta is simmering, season in the inside of the peppers with salt and pepper.  Place cut side up in a casserole dish that will tightly hold the peppers while allowing sauce to pool around the sides.  Carefully pour the polenta into the peppers until roughly level with the tops of the tomatoes.

Pour tomato sauce over and around the peppers.  Cover casserole dish with a lid or tinfoil.  If using tinfoil, spray the side touching the tomatoes with non-stick cooking spray.

Transfer to oven and bake about 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until peppers are tender.  Serve immediately.