This gemista, or Greek stuffed peppers, is a staple meal in Greek households. Almost every home has its own recipe.
It’s healthy, it’s filling, it’s authentic, it’s amazingly tasty.
Ingredients
- 750g extra-lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ¾ cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ cup cooked brown rice
- ¼ cup sliced kalamata olives
- 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
- 6 red bell peppers cut in half lengthwise, seeds & membranes removed
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, salt and pepper, and cook until the ground beef is browned, crumbling with a wooden spoon.
Turn the heat to medium and add the olive oil. Stir in the onions and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes and brown rice, and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the kalamata olives and parsley.
Place the peppers, cut side up, in a large baking dish. Divide the ground beef mixture evenly between the peppers. Pour ½ cup water in the bottom of the baking dish.
Cover tightly with foil and cook until the peppers are tender, about 35 minutes.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of feta cheese over each pepper. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
