Greek-Style Stuffed Bell Peppers

---

Serves 4

Cooking Time 4 to 5 hours on Low or 3 to 4 hours on High

Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Traditional versions of stuffed peppers can be problematic, with bland fillings and tough or mushy peppers, so we knew that creating an easy stuffed pepper recipe in the slow cooker would require some tinkering. We also wanted to add everything straight to the slow cooker without spending time precooking the meatloaf mix or the peppers. We just needed to get the bell peppers to soften in the time it took the meat to cook through. The trick was to add a little water to the slow cooker so the peppers gently steamed until they were just crisp-tender. Precooked white rice was a great timesaver and was readily available at the supermarket. To give the filling bold Greek flavors, we added crumbled feta cheese, kalamata olives, and garlic and oregano for aroma. We topped the cooked peppers with a slice of provolone cheese and a sprinkling of scallions. Choose peppers with flat bottoms so that they stay upright in the slow cooker. Meatloaf mix is a prepackaged mix of ground beef, pork, and veal; if it’s unavailable, use 8 ounces each of ground pork and 85 percent lean ground beef. Feel free to use leftover rice or precooked rice from the supermarket. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

4	(6-ounce) red, orange, or yellow bell peppers
1	pound meatloaf mix
¾	cup crumbled feta cheese
¾	cup cooked rice
½	cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped fine
3	scallions, sliced thin
1	tablespoon minced garlic
1	teaspoon dried oregano
1	teaspoon salt
4	slices deli provolone cheese

1. Trim ½ inch off top of each pepper, then remove core and seeds. Finely chop pepper tops, discarding stems. Gently mix chopped peppers, meatloaf mix, feta, rice, olives, two-thirds of scallions, garlic, oregano, and salt together in bowl with hands until thoroughly combined. Pack filling evenly into cored peppers.

2. Pour ⅓ cup water into slow cooker. Place stuffed peppers upright in slow cooker. Cover and cook until peppers are tender, 4 to 5 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.

3. Top each pepper with 1 slice provolone, cover, and continue to cook on high until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Using tongs and slotted spoon, transfer peppers to serving dish; discard cooking liquid. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and serve.