Servings 10
AuthorMyHorioTotal Time2 hrs 30 minsDifficultyIntermediateStuffed peppers yemista (in Greek yemista means 'filled') is a nutritious and very delicious recipe that uses fresh peppers as the base vegetable that is stuffed with an aromatic meat and rice mixture. They are slowly baked in the oven until they are fork tender and nicely browned.
Feel free to use other vegetables along with or instead of green peppers, such as tomatoes, zucchini, or eggplant.
To make stuffed peppers (yemista):
In large sized saucepan or dutch oven, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and the chopped onions. Sauté on medium heat until the onions are translucent.
Add ground beef, ground pork, chopped onion, and rice.
Sauté until meat is no longer pink. Mix in garlic, salt, pepper, cinnamon, mint, oregano, and chopped parsley.
Add the whole jar of passata to the meat mixture.
Fill the empty passata jar with water, put the lid on and shake, so that all the tomato sauce is incorporated in the water.
Pour three quarters of the water into the meat mixture. Keep the rest to pour on the bottom of your baking tray.
Add the olive oil.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
Turn the oven on to 350F (180C).
Clean and cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds and ribs.
Place the peppers (without the tops) in a large baking tray.
Fill the pepper cavities to overflowing with the sauce mixture. Any leftover sauce can be spooned onto the bottom of the baking pan. Put the pepper tops on the filled peppers.
If you'd like to add a potato, peel and cut the potato into thin wedges and place around the peppers.
Pour the remaining water from the passata jar onto the bottom of the tray.
Use another cup of water if you have added potatoes to the tray.
Drizzle olive oil on top of everything.
Cover with foil and cook for an hour. Remove the foil, and extra water if needed, and continue cooking for 45 minutes longer or until the edges on the peppers are slightly charred.
The peppers will be very wrinkly and you should be able to pierce them easily with a fork.
Remove the peppers from the oven.
Let them cool for five to ten minutes before serving.
These can also be served warm, which my family prefers.
If so, let the peppers cool for at least 30 - 60 minutes.
Serve with feta cheese (slabs or crumbled), a simple salad, and fresh bread.
See more delicious main meal recipes here.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
To make stuffed peppers (yemista):
In large sized saucepan or dutch oven, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and the chopped onions. Sauté on medium heat until the onions are translucent.
Add ground beef, ground pork, chopped onion, and rice.
Sauté until meat is no longer pink. Mix in garlic, salt, pepper, cinnamon, mint, oregano, and chopped parsley.
Add the whole jar of passata to the meat mixture.
Fill the empty passata jar with water, put the lid on and shake, so that all the tomato sauce is incorporated in the water.
Pour three quarters of the water into the meat mixture. Keep the rest to pour on the bottom of your baking tray.
Add the olive oil.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
Turn the oven on to 350F (180C).
Clean and cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds and ribs.
Place the peppers (without the tops) in a large baking tray.
Fill the pepper cavities to overflowing with the sauce mixture. Any leftover sauce can be spooned onto the bottom of the baking pan. Put the pepper tops on the filled peppers.
If you'd like to add a potato, peel and cut the potato into thin wedges and place around the peppers.
Pour the remaining water from the passata jar onto the bottom of the tray.
Use another cup of water if you have added potatoes to the tray.
Drizzle olive oil on top of everything.
Cover with foil and cook for an hour. Remove the foil, and extra water if needed, and continue cooking for 45 minutes longer or until the edges on the peppers are slightly charred.
The peppers will be very wrinkly and you should be able to pierce them easily with a fork.
Remove the peppers from the oven.
Let them cool for five to ten minutes before serving.
These can also be served warm, which my family prefers.
If so, let the peppers cool for at least 30 - 60 minutes.
Serve with feta cheese (slabs or crumbled), a simple salad, and fresh bread.
See more delicious main meal recipes here.
Enjoy!