I’m sure everyone remembers having stuffed peppers for dinner as a child. Typically the peppers were filled with a ground meat & rice and served with a tomato sauce.
If you were lucky they were topped with cheese and not a soggy, brown mess. It wasn’t my favorite thing to see on my plate as a kid, but now I have a whole new appreciate for them – especially when you put them out on the smoker.
And today I want to share with you my recipe for smoking Stuffed Peppers that is sure to please the eyes and appetites…
First let’s talk about the peppers. You want to buy bell peppers that are flat on bottom, so they’ll stand up while cooking. Look for the peppers that have 4 segments on the bottom (female bell peppers). You want a pepper that will balance while standing on the grill grate.
Also, I like to use different colored peppers: Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green are all easily found at your local super market. The green peppers are typically less expensive but using different colors will make this dish pop. (Plus kids are more likely to eat it if it looks good).
The most time consuming part of this recipe is the prep and it can be done ahead of time if you want to serve these for dinner.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 6 Multi colored Bell Peppers
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 pint of Mushrooms diced
- 1 cup of shredded Italian blend Cheese plus extra for topping
- 1 bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley
- 4 cloves of fresh Garlic minced
- 1 cup rice (cooked by package directions)
Wash and drain the bell peppers; then cut the tops off with a sharp knife. Remove the stems and any seeds from the inside of the peppers.
Throw the stems away but save the top ring of the peppers for adding to the stuffing. Dice the onions, pepper tops, mushrooms and set aside.
Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Season the meat with Cavendar’s Greek seasoning as it cooks. Once it’s brown drain the meat mixture on a paper towel and set aside.
Next sauté the onions, pepper tops, and mushrooms in a little olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and parsley to the pan and continue to cook for 3 more minutes until the vegetables have softened. Also, season with a little of the Greek seasoning.
Combine the meat and vegetables in a large bowl. Stir in the shredded cheese and it’s ready to stuff into the peppers.
Fill each Pepper cavity with the stuffing level with the top. This process can be done ahead of time and you can store the peppers in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
The smoking process is pretty simple. You’ll need a smoker or grill set up for indirect heat. Bring your smoker up to 300 degrees and add a little wood for smoke flavor.
Once the smoker is up to temperature, place the peppers on a wire rack or set them straight on the grill grate. Be sure to balance the peppers, so they don’t fall over during the cooking process.
It will take approximately one hour for the stuffed peppers to cook. You want them to slightly brown and begin to get tender, but the pepper itself should still have some texture. You don’t want soggy peppers.
Just before the peppers are done at about the 50-minute mark, top the peppers with shredded cheese. As soon as the cheese melts, the stuffed peppers are ready to take off the cooker and serve.
Smoked Stuffed Peppers make an excellent dinner choice and your family is sure to love them!
Malcom Reed
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