Potato Stuffed Bell Peppers

I tore this recipe out of a Southern Living magazine years ago. The recipe is a good one (I’ll share it at the bottom of this post), but it’s actually the idea I liked more than the actual recipe, the idea being that you make twice baked potatoes, but stuff the filling into bell pepper halves instead of potato skins.

The idea is a keeper because:

1. This one dish gives you a vegetable in addition to the potato.
2. The peppers are pretty…they add color to the dinner table. (My dietician friends – Hi Pam! – would like that they’re healthy too.)
3. It’s easier than making twice baked potatoes.

Win/win/win.

The recipe has you bake the potatoes and scoop out the insides, like you would in a traditional twice baked recipe. You can do that, but I think it’s easier to make your favorite mashed potato recipe instead. There’s no pulp scooping that way, although you do have to peel the potatoes so pulp scooping or peeling – take your pick.

Even easier, you can buy premade mashed potatoes in the refrigerator case at your grocery store. That’s what I did last night and I doctored them up with a little sour cream and some fresh chopped chives.

You can grill the peppers or bake them. I baked these alongside some salmon steaks I had marinated and 30 minutes later a complete meal came out of the oven. It doesn’t get any easier than that, especially for a weeknight meal, but these are tasty enough that you can make them for a dinner party, which I’ve done several times.

So, now for the magazine recipe:

Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes (about 3 1/2-4 pounds)
• 4 large red bell peppers
• 1 16 oz. container sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Gouda cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 3 T. butter
• 3 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. ground pepper
• 1/4 t. paprika

Directions

1. Pierce each potato 3 to 4 times with a fork and place directly on oven rack. Bake at 450 degrees for 1 hour, 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, cutting through stems and keeping them in tact. Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Rinse and pat dry. Set aside.
3. Cut baked potatoes in half. Scoop pulp into a large bowl and discard the shells. Add sour cream and next six ingredients, blending well with a fork or potato masher.
4. Spoon potato mixture into bell pepper halves. Sprinkle with paprika.
5. Grill peppers over medium-high heat (350 – 400 degrees) with the grill lid closed until peppers blister and potato mixture bubbles around edges. Serve immediately.

And here’s my simplified version:

Ingredients

• Enough of your favorite mashed potato recipe or premashed potatoes to serve 4 (I used a 24 oz. container of Reser’s brand mashed potatoes and added sour cream and fresh chopped chives to taste.)
• 2 whole bell peppers, any color

Directions:

1. Cut bell peppers in half length-wise and remove the insides. Wash and pat completely dry.
2. Prepare the mashed potatoes and use a spoon to divide the mashed potato mixture among the four pepper halves.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven (or grill on a medium heat grill with the cover closed) for 20-30 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and the potatoes are heated through. Serve.