The Cook's Corner

N’awlins-stuffed bell peppers

By Staff Report

May 13, 2009 at 2:54 pm  | Mobile Reader | Print 

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 small onion, finely chopped

- 1 stalk celery, chopped

- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

- 1 teaspoon file powder

- salt and ground black pepper to taste

- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef

- 3/4 pound cooked ham, finely chopped

- 1 pound baby shrimp

- 1 (16 ounce) package unseasoned dry bread stuffing mix

- 6 large green bell peppers, halved and seeded

- 1 cup plain bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Heat oil in a large pot over low heat. Saute onion, celery and chopped green pepper for 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Season with parsley, Creole seasoning, file powder, salt and pepper.

Increase heat to medium high, and add ground beef.

Cook until beef is evenly browned. Stir in ham, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add shrimp, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in stuffing mix.

Stuff each bell pepper half, and lightly sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Place stuffed bell pepper halves in ungreased baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.

Because the stuffing is fully cooked prior to baking, you can reduce the baking time by half (30 to 35 minutes) if you blanch the bell peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes before stuffing.

File powder is a seasoning made from the ground, dried leaves of the sassafras tree. It's an integral part of Creole cooking, and is used to thicken and flavor Gumbos and other Creole dishes.