FIGHT-OVER GOOD STUFFED RED PEPPERS

Fight-over Good Stuffed Red Peppers image

Provided by Nell Waldrop

Categories Beef

Time 1h45m

Number Of Ingredients 17

12 red bell peppers, plus two extras chopped finely to go in the stuffing (red ones are sweeter!)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 bunch celery, chopped finely
1 red onion, chopped finely
1 sweet onion, chopped finely
4 clove garlic., chopped finely
1 bunch italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
3 carrots, peeled and chopped finely; these also add sweetness
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp tony chachere's creole seasoning
2 c italian bread crumbs, plus about ¾ cup for tops of stuffed peppers
2 lb ground round
1 1/2 lb raw, peeled, deveined shrimp cut into small (1/2") pieces
1 c parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
1 c heavy cream, + any additional needed to make stuffing stick together

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Find your largest skillet. (I use a 14 inch one!)
2. Cut each pepper in half length wise and remove any seeds & ribs. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot and blanch the peppers until tender-crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Drain and cool in ice bath to preserve color. Set aside.
3. Heat butter and oil in a large (12-14") nonstick skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add celery, onions, carrots, garlic, and parsley and seasonings. Cook; stirring occasionally, until well softened - about 5-8 minutes. Crumble and add ground round, stirring occasionally until browned well. Drain the fat. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until pink, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add bread crumbs and stir well then add cream and stir well again. Let cool. Mound stuffing generously into pepper halves. Sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs on top of each pepper. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.
5. Freeze any leftovers by wrapping each tightly in foil and putting inside Ziplock freezer bag(s). Can be thawed and reheated at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.