I hope everyone had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend. And, hey! It’s almost the weekend again! Now that summertime is [un]officially in swing, I have a great recipe for you that can be done in the oven or on the grill, and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Enter: my venison stuffed bell peppers. There is a local farmer’s market across from my office every Tuesday in the summer (Yes, office. No, I don’t get to hunt and fish and ride 4-wheelers and test recipes all day every day… But I digress….), and I just love wandering around to each vendor and seeing what they have to offer. I am talking everything from fresh local honey to homemade bread and butter pickles. And, wouldn’t you know it, I found some beautiful, fresh bell peppers just waiting to be stuffed with ground venison, onion, spices, and Parmesan, then baked to perfection.
INGREDIENTS:
3-4 bell peppers (1-2 per person, depending on size)
1 lb ground venison
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp Worcestershire
1-2 large tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1.5 tbsp Italian seasoning
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
S & P to taste
STEPS:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350*. Cut the tops off of your bell peppers, remove the ribs and seeds, and fit them in an baking dish. Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and let them bake for 15-20 minutes before adding the filling. Once cooked, remove from oven and set aside for now. [Side note – the top of the peppers that you cut off can be used in the filling! Just cut off chunks of the pepper from the stem, and add them to the meat while it is browning… Like I am about to tell you…]
2. While the peppers are in the oven, get to work on the filling, In a large skillet, brown the venison until cooked through, seasoning with salt and pepper. About halfway in, add the onion, peppers, tomato, tomato paste & Worcestershire. Once the meat is cooked, drain if necessary. The tomatoes will add to the amount of liquid in the skillet, so you’ll want to get rid of that before you stuff the peppers.
3. After the meat has been drained, mix in the Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese, leaving 2-3 tablespoons of the cheese to sprinkle on top in a minute.
4. Time to get those peppers stuffed! Using a large spoon or some tongs, scoop some filling into each bell pepper. The amount of filling you use will depend solely on the size of the pepper, but you want to make sure it’s packed in without overflowing or breaking the sides of the pepper open. Then, add the remaining Parmesan to the top to create a salty, cheesy, delicious crust.
5. Bake in your 350* oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and browned. For the last 2-3 minutes, put the broiler on high to ensure you get that great crust.
6. Dig in! I served these alongside some baked sweet potato fries that are super easy.
