Stuffed Peppers Don't Have To Be Just The Bell Variety

When you think of classic stuffed peppers, you likely think of a row of tri-colored bell peppers overflowing with a filling of rice or another staple option, like quinoa, alongside your ground protein of choice (typically beef, but chicken or turkey if you're trying to be healthy), and then topped with melted cheese. However, while this comfort food is delicious on its own, don't feel like you can't get creative with it. When it comes to stuffed peppers, there's no reason you have to stick with the bell peppers that are the go-to.

You can stuff a variety of peppers, but bell peppers just happen to be readily available, relatively affordable, and large, so they're easier to stuff. Other options, though, include banana peppers, Anaheim peppers, poblano peppers, or Cubanelle peppers. Banana peppers, while skinnier and smaller, are not able to fit quite as much filling, but go great with a super-creamy filling with a cream cheese base. For your stuffed Anaheim or poblano peppers, think of your traditional stuffing mixture, but lean heavily into Southwest flavors. For Cubanelle peppers, go Italian all the way, with a pizza topping-inspired stuffing.

If you decide to branch out and stuff a few peppers that are not of the bell variety, you'll want to follow a few tricks to better guarantee your success. For example, there are just some peppers that are suited to stuffing and some that are not. Look for types of peppers that are not overwhelmingly hot (so that you don't overpower your other flavors), and peppers that are at least large enough to hold more than a few bites of stuffing.

Once you've picked your pepper, be sure to remove all the seeds before stuffing. Depending on the size of the pepper, you may want to cut them in half and fill each side, or just cut the top off, whichever makes for easier stuffing and then eating. If you're short on time, cut them in half, fill each side separately, and then pre-boil your peppers (like you would lasagna noodles before assembling your lasagna). Both of these steps will shorten the amount of time your peppers need to spend in the oven.