Stuffed peppers are one of my favorites, but the same old recipe can get old and be a little one-dimensional.  By switching up sweet bell peppers for traditional green ones and smoking over applewood, you get a whole new dish with a richer sweeter flavor.  This one is actually really easy to make and impresses guests for an old standby!

SMOKED STUFFED PEPPERS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

• 2 Cans Organic Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 Yellow Onion, Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped
• 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbs Chopped Parsley
• 1 Tsp Ground Thyme
• 1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt & Pepper To Taste

Directions

• Saute onions and garlic in a medium saucepan until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
• Add tomato sauce and then remaining ingredients.  Simmer for 20 minutes minimum.
• Remove 1 Cup of sauce and allow to cool.

Stuffed Peppers

• One Red & One Orange Sweet Pepper
• 1 Lbs Ground Beef
• 1/3 Cup Uncooked Short Grain Rice
• 1 Egg, Beaten
• 1 Tbs Chopped Parsley
• Salt & Pepper To Taste

Instructions

• Wash peppers, cut each in half and clean out seeds and white membrane.  Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients as well as 1 Cup of the prepared tomato sauce.  Mix thoroughly, but do not overwork.  Mixture should be wet, but hold together when formed.
• Divide mixture into 4 parts and stuff each half pepper.  Stuff these loosely to keep the meat moist and tender.
• Place peppers in a foil pan and smoke uncovered on charcoal and applewood for 30 minutes.
• Add another cup of prepared sauce to foil pan, cover with aluminum foil and cook on grill for another 30 minutes.
• Serve with remaining sauce to pour over finished peppers and toasted ciabatta.

I cooked these peppers at 350 degrees for about an hour.  If you don’t have a grill or smoker, you can easily follow these instructions and prepare in your oven the same way.  This is a basic recipe, but you can create great variations by substituting meats and sauce flavorings.  Think about Italian Sausage and topping with provolone cheese.  What about chorizo with jalapeño and cilantro in the sauce?  Try them and let me know how they turn out!