Jambalaya-Stuffed Bell Peppers
Yields: 8 Servings
Ingredients
- 8 medium assorted bell peppers (about 3 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ¾ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¾ pound tasso, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¾ pound andouille sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cut ½ inch off top of stem end of each bell pepper. (Reserve tops; discard seeds and membranes.) Place peppers in a 3½-quart oval baking dish.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink on outside, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken using a slotted spoon, and place in a bowl.
- Add tasso and andouille to Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until meat has lightly browned and released drippings, 5 to 8 minutes. (Reduce heat as necessary to prevent overbrowning.) Remove tasso mixture using a slotted spoon, and transfer to bowl with chicken, reserving drippings in Dutch oven.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, chopped bell pepper, celery, and garlic to pot; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Return chicken mixture to pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until rice is tender, 20 to 28 minutes, scraping browned bits from bottom of Dutch oven well toward end of cooking time.
- Discard bay leaf; add thyme. Season rice with salt and pepper. Spoon rice mixture into peppers, mounding high (about 1 cup each). Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; cover with reserved tops. Pour ½ cup water in bottom of baking dish. Cover with foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until peppers are tender and stuffing is heated through, 20 to 25 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Notes
KITCHEN TIP:
If rice is more al dente than desired, add ¼ cup to ½ cup more broth or water at a time to pot; cover and continue to cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.
If rice is more al dente than desired, add ¼ cup to ½ cup more broth or water at a time to pot; cover and continue to cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.
#tasty and delicious eating is what this is all about, fantastic