Mama didn’t make stuffed peppers when we were growing up. As a result, I have never been enamored of them, but what’s not to like about cheesy beef and rice? I then realized the pepper was my problem. Stuffed bell peppers have to be cooked a long time to be tender and the resulting flavor dominates the milder beef and rice.
This flavor dynamic changes completely when using a thinner-walled mild pepper like a cubanelle. You can also swap out the “vessel vegetable” altogether. Try stuffing a small globe or cylindrical zucchini or a hollowed-out tomato. When I use vegetables such as these, I add the scooped-out flesh to the rice and beef mixture as well so as not to waste it.
