Stuff couscous and beef into sweet bell peppers for a nutritious protein-packed meal. The bold colors of the antioxidant-packed bell peppers aren’t just for decoration-the more bright colors you can pile onto your plate, the healthier your meal will be.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 10 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 55 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
- 2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
- 1 large shallot, cut into chunks
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, dill or a combination
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Kosher salt
- 4 red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers or a mix of colors, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
- 3/4 cup grated asiago cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Pulse the carrots, celery and shallots in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. (Add a splash of water if the mixture begins to stick.) Add the ground beef and 4 teaspoons of the tomato paste and cook, breaking the mixture up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, the parsley, raisins, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until most of the water is absorbed and the mixture gets saucy, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, toss the pepper halves with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until the peppers are pliable, 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully uncover the bowl and pour out any liquid that has accumulated.
- Stir the couscous into the beef mixture. Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 3/4 cup water in the bottom of a large baking dish.
- Carefully transfer the peppers to the baking dish cut-side up and fill each pepper with the couscous mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is hot, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature drizzled with the tomato cooking liquid.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 379 calorie |
| Total Fat | 15 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 5 grams |
| Cholesterol | 49 milligrams |
| Sodium | 685 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 43 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 grams |
| Protein | 22 grams |
| Sugar | 15 grams |
Reviews
These are so delicious! I substituted a few items- quinoa instead of couscous and cranberries versus raisins. Everybody loved it. Will be making again!
Delicious! After baking, I topped with a light drizzle of balsamic reduction glaze just for looks (which was also tasty).
Fed this to my Mexican friend bro went back to the border hella fast
Omit the raisons, add sauted wild mushrooms and add to a flour tortilla taco style
Love this recipe! Have been making this for a few years as written with one adjustment. I microwave the peppers in only 1/2 its time, 5 to 6 mins depending on the size of the peppers.
LOVED THIS! Made it keto-style by subbing the couscous and raisins for 4 c frozen riced cauliflower – had tons of flavor – will definitely make it again. It was also fancy enough that it would be good for a dinner party ….
Anyone know if the couscous should be cooked prior to stirring it in with the beef mixture?
This recipe was okay. I would leave out the peppers in the microwave step because they become to flimsy to put the mixture in. I personally needed more flavor.
Timing for the oven portion needs to be adjusted. 20 minutes and everything is burnt.
This was an excellent recipe. We aren’t a fan of the sweet/savory either, so we left out the raisins. We also left out the dill. I think the microwaving helps cut down on the cook time, but 12 minutes is too much. Next time I would do it for 4-5 minutes. I would also add some fresh garlic. We also used Parmesan cheese since we didn’t have Asiago. It was still very delicious, and can’t wait to make it again. The peppers just melt in your mouth, and the beef and veggie combo with the couscous was perfect.