Wild Rice and Lentil Stuffed Green Peppers

Looking for a great meal for dinner or anytime? Try this Wild Rice and Lentil Stuffed Green Peppers.

Typically, stuffed green peppers are often bland, lack in texture, and are inconsistent in taste (the top being flavorful and the middle and bottom lacking in flavor). For years, I have been trying to take this traditional dish to a more ‘gourmet’ level. By adding texture (wild rice and lentils), flavor (seasonings), and depth (multiple layers), I have finally perfected the recipe. I hope your family will love it as much as mine does!

Ingredients

6 green bell peppers

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped  white onion                    

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)  

½ teaspoon onion powder (or to taste)

1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes, chopped  

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup water  

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese                          

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup  

6 Tablespoons Ketchup

1/2 cup Lentil Wild rice blend (or ¼ cup wild rice & ¼ cup lentils) cooked*

*I used Winco Lentil Blend Rice 1695 (Brown Rice, Lentils, Red Rice, Wild Rice)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring 2 pots of water to a boil. 1 large pot for the green peppers and one small pot for the lentil wild rice mix. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.

Add Lentil Wild Rice mix to boiling water; turn the heat down to a rapid simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes (until desired texture, *I like them to be pretty soft); drain and add to meat mixture.

2.  In a large skillet, saute beef and onions until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir in the tomatoes, lentil/rice mix, 1/2 cup water, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the water has mostly evaporated. (To save time start the simmering process and add lentils and rice once they are done cooking.) TASTE TEST and season until the mixture is satisfactory. Remove from heat, and stir 1 cup cheese.

3.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). Place peppers open side up in a baking dish. Stuff each pepper in layers. 

1^st layer- Add: 1 Tablespoon condensed tomato soup, 1/2 Tablespoon Ketchup, 1 Tablespoon shredded cheese, ¼ cup (fill the pepper half way up) of the beef and rice mixture. 

2^nd layer- Add: 1 Tablespoon condensed tomato soup, 1/2 Tablespoon Ketchup, 1 Tablespoon shredded cheese, ¼ cup (or to the top of the pepper) of the beef and rice mixture. 

Top Layer-1 Tablespoon condensed tomato soup, ½ Tablespoon Ketchup, 1-2 Tablespoons shredded cheese.

 

4.  Bake covered for 25 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

 

5.  Serve, and enjoy!

Ways to make this main dish for less: Get peppers and onion at Sprouts, vegetable co-ops, or Winco (those are the cheapest places I have found). Buy Lentil Wild Rice mix at Winco in bulk. Use coupons on and/or buy ketchup, soup, beef, and cheese on sale.

Wild Rice and Lentil Stuffed Green Peppers

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Try this Wild Rice and Lentil Stuffed Green Peppers. Your family will love it as much as mine does!

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Ingredients

• 6 green bell peppers
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder (or to taste)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 6 Tablespoons Ketchup
• 1/2 cup Lentil Wild rice blend (or ¼ cup wild rice & ¼ cup lentils) cooked*

Instructions

1. Bring 2 pots of water to a boil. 1 large pot for the green peppers and one small pot for the lentil wild rice mix . Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.
2. Add Lentil Wild Rice mix to boiling water; turn heat down to a rapid simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes (until desired texture, *I like them to be pretty soft); drain and add to meat mixture.
3. In a large skillet, saute beef and onions until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir in the tomatoes, lentil/rice mix, 1/2 cup water, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the water has mostly evaporated. (To save time start the simmering process and add lentils and rice once they are done cooking.) TASTE TEST and season until the mixture is satisfactory. Remove from heat, and stir 1 cup cheese.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). Place peppers open side up in a baking dish. Stuff each pepper in layers.
5. First layer- Add: 1 Tablespoon condensed tomato soup, 1/2 Tablespoon Ketchup, 1 Tablespoon shredded cheese, ¼ cup (fill the pepper half way up) of the beef and rice mixture.
6. Second layer- Add: 1 Tablespoon condensed tomato soup, 1/2 Tablespoon Ketchup, 1 Tablespoon shredded cheese, ¼ cup (or to the top of the pepper) of the beef and rice mixture.
7. Top Layer-1 Tablespoon condensed tomato soup, ½ Tablespoon Ketchup, 1-2 Tablespoons shredded cheese.
8. Bake covered for 25 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.
9. Serve, and enjoy.

Notes

I used Winco Lentil Blend Rice 1695 (Brown Rice, Lentils, Red Rice, Wild Rice)

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