Gyro-Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe (2024)

Gyro-Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe (1)

When Jason and I met, I was living in this tiny, dirt cheap apartment with my fluffy white kitty, Shasta. Shasta & I had accidentally stumbled across the greatest deal in the entire city. We had million dollar houses, the city’s nicest park, running trails, a golf course, and gorgeous green space at our front door. At our back door? Legit crack houses. But not for long.

The area was seeing major regentrification. Just 2-3 years before, if you’d asked anyone “Hey, I’m on Washington – what should I do over here?” They would have screamed “GET DOWN AND CALL 911!” But even at that point, it was only half-sketch. Plus, the million-dollar-homeowners across the street paid for fancy private security to roam the neighborhood. We had security-by-proximation. (And to be fair, crack-house-by-proximation.)

New fences went up weekly, flanked by construction signs and “Coming Soon!” banners. But none of those new places would ever top Bibas.

Gyro-Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe (2)

Bibas was a 24-hour Greek diner on Memorial that promised two things: the world’s fluffiest pita bread and fabulously accented late-night conversations from owners who seemed to never take a break, much less a day or night off. Throw in a plate of dolmades and you had one of the best ways to unwind after a play-hard downtown Saturday night.

Then I met a guy who didn’t eat Greek food, Bibas closed down, and I moved to the suburbs.

But 8 years later, that guy didn’t protest when I dragged him down to the Greek Festival. Mostly because after 8 years of all the life changes that come with being an adult, he knew that our Friday nights could very likely otherwise involve a super unsexy trip to the home improvement store for a plunger.

Related: That age where they outgrow flushing things down the toilet? Not here yet.

Gyro-Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe (3)

To the Greek festival we went, sampling dolmades and baklava and souvlaki and tiropita. The light in a person’s eyes when he realizes that a “scary” word like souvlaki means manly grilled red meat on a stick? Beats any look of joy and magical wonder on Christmas morning 🙂

True story.

Gyro-Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe (4)

This month’s HEB Primo Picks showed up with a couple of pantry staples that I regularly buy:
Central Market’s Quick Cooking Quinoa
HEB Basting Oil (a garlic & herbed oil that’s great for dipping pita bread and cooking and sauteeing and drizzling over just about everything)

Along with the black olives, I whipped up some Greek-style stuffed bell peppers to serve along some pita and tzatziki sauce.

The first time I ever made stuffed peppers, I got the expected nose-wrinkling “Why’d you ruin perfectly good food by shoving it in a bell pepper that hasn’t been sliced and grilled and served next to fajitas?” look while poking at the pepper to confirm that it was, in fact, not going to leap off the place and whack him on the head.

But the first time I made a Gyro-inspired stuffed bell pepper on “Greek night,” I got the expected mouth-full mumble, “Th2diy so3048x Greek dhdslkashd” head-nodding approval.

The rambly lesson here? Stuff it in a pepper, call it Greek food. Everyone is happy.

Gyro-Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe (5)

Greek-style bell peppers stuffed with quinoa, ground beef, feta, and black olives.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Central Market Quick-Cooking Quinoa
  • 2 cups chicken stock (or water)
  • 1 lb lean ground beef (or substitute half lamb)
  • 2 Tbsp oil, divided
  • 1 small white onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 chopped HEB Black Olives
  • 15 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
  • 2 tsp greek seasoning*
  • 4 oz crumbled feta, divided
  • Small handful of cilantro and/or parsley, chopped and divided
  • 6 large bell peppers
  • HEB Basting Oil, for drizzling
  • Tzatziki sauce, for serving (purchased or homemade)
  • *This was a purchased mix of dried herbs: oregano, parsley, basil, marjoram, garlic, and onion. A mixture pretty decently wingable at home.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 and lightly grease a casserole dish.
  2. Take a thin sliver off the rounded edges off the bell pepper "feet" so the peppers stand on their own.
  3. With the tip of your knife, poke 1-2 small holes in the bell pepper bottom - just deep enough to create an opening for any excess liquid to drain. Soggy stuffed peppers are no fun.
  4. Heat 2 cups of water or chicken stock and cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside.
  5. Heat large saute pan over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef.
  6. Transfer the cooked meat to a colander to drain.
  7. Add the cooking oil and heat, then cook the onions 3-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and stir, cooking another minute more.
  8. Return the ground beef to the pan along with the cooked quinoa, olives, tomatoes, Greek seasoning, 3 oz of the crumbled feta, and most of the parsley/cilantro (reserving a couple of pinches for garnish).
  9. Mix well and taste for seasoning.
  10. Spoon the filling into the peppers, lightly drizzle with basting oil if using, and transfer the dish to the oven to bake ~15 minutes.
  11. Top with remaining feta and garnish with chopped herbs before serving.
  12. Reheat foil-covered leftovers in a small baking dish until heated through.

Notes

Yields: 6 servings

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Estimated time: 45 minutes

This recipe was developed in conjunction with H-E-B and I was provided ingredients as well as compensated for my time. Messy fingers, stretchy-waisted pants, and baby-Elmo-clogged-toilets are all mine. You can find H-E-B on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. And if you’re as lucky as we are, 3 locations within a 5 mile radius.

Gyro-Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do peppers need to be cooked before stuffing? ›

I definitely suggest par-cooking the bell peppers first, just a little bit before stuffing them. Not only does this help to soften the bell peppers, but it also cuts down on your cook time. As the bell peppers are cooking you can make the filling, shaving off about 20 minutes from your total cook time.

How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting soggy? ›

To prevent it from happening, you should try to avoid or reduce excess moisture – here are three of the things you can do:
  1. Pre-cook Peppers. ...
  2. Use Leftover Rice. ...
  3. Save Cheese for the Topping.

What are the Greek red peppers? ›

The Florina pepper (Greek: πιπεριά Φλωρίνης) is a pepper cultivated in the northern Greek region of Western Macedonia, specifically in the wider area of Florina, for which it is named. It boasts a deep red color and is shaped like a cow's horn.

What goes best with stuffed peppers? ›

Roasted or sautéed veggies side dishes would pair nicely as a light side dish for the Italian stuffed peppers: Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Zucchini, or Sautéed Zucchini are three favorites. If you are roasting vegetables, you can place the sheet pan in the oven with the peppers. Salad.

Should I cover my stuffed peppers when I bake them? ›

Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the baking dish and drizzle the peppers with a little olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted and lightly browned, another 15 to 20 minutes.

What ingredients are in stuffed peppers? ›

Why do my stuffed peppers taste bland? ›

The thing about most stuffed bell pepper recipes is 3that they call for salt in the filling, not for the peppers themselves. Without salt, the peppers are flabby and bland, merely a filling case. With a sprinkle of salt, they transform into a sweet and powerfully savory part of the dish.

Why do stuffed peppers take so long to cook? ›

For Uncooked Fillings in Whole Peppers:

It's possible to stuff peppers with a raw filling. If you're stuffing a whole pepper, it takes awhile to cook because the filling needs to reach a safe temperature. Out of all the stuffed peppers, this one takes the longest to cook because of its size.

Why are my stuffed peppers bitter? ›

If your supposedly “sweet” peppers taste bitter, the most likely culprit is lack of water. Pepper plants need to be consistently moist. Drought-stressed peppers go into survival mode, hastily ripening fruits and seeds without putting much energy into flavor. The resulting peppers are thin-walled and bitter.

What are Greek peppers called? ›

Pepperoncini are also known as sweet Italian peppers, golden Greek peppers or friggitello in Italy. They are frequently used in Mediterranean-leaning dishes such as anti-pasto platters, salads, sandwiches and pizza.

What are the green balls in red peppers? ›

It is actually a small pepper growing inside the mature pepper. It's called an “internal proliferation” and is an abnormal growth, a bit like a tumor in humans, but not harmful.

What is the rarest pepper in the world? ›

Its mode of production and collect make the Bird Pepper the rarest pepper in the world. The birds approach the pepper plantations during the harvest period, as the pepper grains mature and turn from green to red.

What is a fancy name for stuffed peppers? ›

The chile relleno, literally "stuffed pepper", consists of a roasted and peeled/skinned green pasilla or poblano pepper stuffed with cheese (traditionally queso fresco) and, occasionally, minced meat, covered in an egg batter, and fried.

What alcohol goes with stuffed peppers? ›

Stuffed peppers

If it's some kind of meat I'd go for a medium-bodied Italian red, a young rioja. zinfandel or a Côtes du Roussillon. Or a merlot.

Should you cook or raw bell peppers? ›

Bell peppers, whether raw or cooked, are packed with vitamin C and various antioxidants. Eating them raw provides maximum vitamin C content, but cooking bell peppers can increase the availability of other nutrients. Roasting or grilling bell peppers enhances their natural sweetness and offers a delightful flavor.

Why do you parboil peppers before stuffing? ›

The most common reason to parboil peppers is to soften them ready for stuffing so that they can then be baked in the oven. This recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers is the perfect example!

How far in advance can I chop vegetables for stuffing? ›

All great stuffings start by sautéing simple aromatics, often a mix of chopped onions, celery, and carrots, which is also called a mirepoix. Chop—and even sauté it! —a day ahead, store in an airtight container in the fridge, and toss into the bread mixture when you're ready.

Can cooking peppers be eaten raw? ›

Also called sweet peppers or capsic*ms, bell peppers can be eaten either raw or cooked. Like their close relatives, chili peppers, bell peppers are sometimes dried and powdered. In that case, they are referred to as paprika.

References

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