Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers

A few months back, I introduced my readers to wellness chef and author Joanna Barajas, via her Kale Caesar with Lime recipe. I have been following Chef Joanna’s Instagram for a while now, and her cooking approach and recipes have been very uplifting and inspiring. Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to cook with Chef Joanna virtually, via her Live Instagram Simple Cooking Cooking Show. We had been planning this collaboration for a while, and it was very exciting to finally have the opportunity come to fruition.

We chose to add our own unique spins on a classic dish, Stuffed Peppers. Instead of stuffing and assembling the peppers as you  normally would, we each made a casserole – or as I prefer – a deconstructed version. While a traditional stuffed pepper makes for a beautiful presentation, there is a good bit of time and effort involved. My theory behind the deconstructed version is that there is less prep time, less assembly, with just as much beauty and flavor. It also makes for a much easier weekday meal!

While my normal go-to meat for stuffed peppers is ground turkey, I decided to use ground lamb for my version of this recipe. Being that we are just a day away from Easter, I felt that ground lamb would be appropriate and would make for a fun and tasty side dish. I also chose to use feta cheese and fresh mint as opposed to the more traditional mozzarella and Italian seasonings. I will indicate the ingredient substitutes in my recipe below, in case you decide to use ground turkey in place of lamb.

Chef Joanna made a meatless vegetarian version, using quinoa and lentils in place of the more traditional rice and ground meat. As you can see from the photos below, Chef Joanna’s version looks absolutely spectacular, and I cannot wait to give this version a try! 

I would like to thank Chef Joanna again for inviting me to her virtual kitchen. It was such a positive and fun experience, and I hope to collaborate more with Chef Joanna in the future. 

You can check out our cooking video via Chef Joanna’s Instagram page @chefjoannas

Dom’s Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Serves 6

1 pound ground lamb (you can use your choice of ground meat in place of lamb)
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large peppers, diced (your preference of pepper – I use Cubanelle or red, yellow or orange bell peppers)
12 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup cooked rice (brown or white will work)
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1-1/2 teaspoons mint
1-1/2 teaspoons rosemary
(if using ground turkey or beef, I would suggest to omit the mint and rosemary in place of Italian seasoning and basil…or your choice of herbs)
salt and pepper
olive oil
crumbled feta (you can use shredded mozzarella for a more traditional taste) 

1. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and saute onions for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and peppers. Cook for 5-7 minutes at medium heat, or until peppers start to soften. 

2. Add ground lamb. Using a wooden spoon, break up the lamb and stir together with the onions, garlic and peppers. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, until the ground lamb is fully browned. 

3. Once fully browned, carefully drain any excess fat and oil from the pan.

4. Add the cooked rice, tomato sauce, oregano, thyme, mint and rosemary. Mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Top the casserole with crumbled feta, or your choice of cheese. Cover until cheese is melted. You can also place the pan under the broiler to melt the cheese, if your pan is oven-safe.

Chef Joanna’s Stuffed Pepper Bake (Vegetarian)

Serves 6

1 cup black or white quinoa, rinsed
1 onion (or 1 cup, chopped)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 large peppers (red, green, orange), chopped to 1” pieces
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste
½ cup lentils, cooked
1 tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
olive oil

1. Rinse and cook the quinoa. Bring 2 cups water to boil, then add quinoa. Simmer with lid for 15-20 minutes or water is absorbed. Set aside.

2. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and saute onions and garlic for a couple minutes. Then, add the peppers and tomato. Keep cooking for 5-7 minutes at medium heat, or until peppers start to soften. 

3. Then, add the tomato paste and stir to cook a few seconds. 

4. Add in the cooked lentils and cooked quinoa. Stir in oregano, red pepper flakes, parmesan, s&p to taste. Lower heat, and cover with a lid and cook until peppers are very soft, about 15-20 minutes. 

5. Place mixture in an 8×8 baking tray and top with breadcrumbs. Drizzle breadcrumbs with olive oil. Broil on HI in the upper part of the oven for just a couple minutes, or until breadcrumbs turn golden brown. (Turn after a few seconds for even browning) Finish with parmesan and parsley.