Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

These Mediterranean-style stuffed peppers combine seasoned minced beef with a creamy cheese center. Feta and goat cheese add distinct flavors, while the peppers bake in a tomato sauce seasoned with garlic, herbs, and ajvar.

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the stuffed peppers

• 4 bell peppers, preferably 2 red and 2 yellow
• 600 g minced beef
• 50 g feta cheese
• 50 g goat cheese
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bread roll, stale or fresh, cut into pieces and soaked in milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 heaped teaspoon dried Mediterranean herbs, such as oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the sauce

• 800 g canned whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon pepper-tomato paste
• 1–2 teaspoons ajvar, mild or spicy
• Sugar, salt, and pepper to taste
• Dried Mediterranean herbs to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C convection. Place the minced beef in a mixing bowl so it can lose some of its refrigerator chill.
2. Remove any especially hard crust from the bread roll. Cut the roll into pieces, soak them in milk, and then squeeze out the excess liquid.
3. Wash the peppers and slice off their tops. Carefully remove the seeds and internal membranes. Cut the green stems from the pepper tops, leaving a small opening.
4. Add the chopped onion, soaked bread, salt, paprika, dried herbs, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the minced beef. Knead until evenly combined.
5. Fill each pepper with the meat mixture and replace its top. If necessary, trim a very thin slice from the base so the pepper stands securely.
6. Press a narrow cavity through the opening in each pepper top and into the filling. Insert feta into two peppers and goat cheese into the other two. The cheeses can be assigned to the peppers in any combination.
7. For the sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a covered, ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven. Sauté the onion until translucent and lightly browned if desired.
8. Add the garlic and cook only until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and pepper-tomato paste, then cook briefly.
9. Add the canned tomatoes. Season with a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, ajvar, and dried herbs. Bring the sauce briefly to a boil and adjust the seasoning.
10. Stand the stuffed peppers in the sauce. Cover the casserole and bake on the second rack from the bottom for 50 minutes.
11. Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the stuffed peppers with mashed potatoes, rice, or a crusty baguette to soak up the tomato sauce.

Helpful Tips

• The filling deliberately contains no egg, which helps keep the cooked meat tender rather than overly compact.
• A fresh roll can be used when stale bread is unavailable, though it may soften more while soaking.
• Red, yellow, orange, or green peppers all work for this recipe.
• If any meat mixture remains after filling the peppers, shape it into small meatballs and cook them in the sauce alongside the peppers.
• Avoid browning the garlic too strongly because it can become bitter.