Stuffed red bell peppers

 

In this case, frugality was the mother of invention, or at least of improvisation. I had a couple of red bell peppers that I knew I should use, a few Campari tomatoes (which I hope will be the last tomatoes I need to buy from a store for a while) that were getting ready to give up, and some leftover roast chicken that I wanted to use for something besides a sandwich.  I also had some uncooked Faro (a grain) that has been in the fridge for a while because I didn't want it to go rancid or anything, and some ingredients in the freezer that had been there a while: homemade pesto,  homemade chicken broth, a package of shredded mozzarella, and a package of pepperoni that has been frozen since sometime during the pandemic. I also had a bunch of green onions that I bought a couple of weeks ago and ended up not using as I had intended. So, here's what happened.

2 red bell peppers, cut lengthwise from stem to bottom, stem, rib and seeds removed

Filling:

2 cups (measured uncooked) faro, rinsed and cooked according to pkg.

5 Campari tomatoes (approximately golf-ball size)

Leftover roasted (or rotisserie) chicken, diced/shredded, about 2 cups

2 cubes frozen chicken broth

2 cubes frozen pesto

Frozen pepperoni, chopped, about a cup

6 green onions (chop white/green part for mix, save green tops for garnish if desired)

1 pkg shredded mozzarella, approximately half in the mix and the rest on top.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes

 

Notes:

1.    1. This makes way too much filling for the 2 peppers that I had, but I just put it in the casserole dish underneath the stuffed peppers. Because, really, the filling is (mostly) the point. Having extra is not a problem!

2.  2.   I did not add salt and pepper to the mix, because I was using ingredients with varying amounts of seasoning in them: the chicken, the pepperoni, the chicken broth (made from bones of a very seasoned roast chicken), the pesto. Once it was all baked and had a chance for the flavors to meld, it was actually pretty close to perfect. I added a sprinkle of salt to my serving, just because I like food saltier than many people do.

3.    3. If I weren’t using the pepperoni or a highly seasoned Italian sausage, I’d probably add red pepper flakes or at least black pepper.

4.   4.  I have a silicone compartmentalized tray that makes cubes that are just a wee bit bigger than a standard ice cube tray. I use it to freeze chicken broth, pesto, even eggs (one egg fits nicely in one compartment). Once frozen, the food can be popped out and put into a plastic bag or other container. When I want a bit of that ingredient for a recipe, I can just take one or two cubes out of the bag, and I’m good.

II5. I am not fond of green bell peppers, but I suppose you could use them instead.

 

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