mexican stuffed peppers with ranchero sauce

(1 rating)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Michelle Crawford
Brady, TX

Since I was 17, I fell in love with a hated vegetable - the bell pepper. A group of us teens went to eat at a Tex-Mex Casa Manana. My sister ordered the stuffed peppers there. I took a bite and fell in love. I'm now 48 and the hubby and I took an anniversary trip back there to have them. That/s when I got the idea on trying to make my own and figured out their secret ranchero sauce.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

There are a few steps to this stuffed peppers recipe, but don't let them scare you off. These stuffed peppers are fantastic. The filling for the bell pepper is worth making this recipe alone. It's meaty and full of chunks of onion and bell pepper that add tons of flavor. You will have a bit of filling left over but don't worry, it's delicious on its own too. The ranchero sauce is thick, creamy and really elevates the stuffed peppers. This dish does take a little bit of effort, but it's so worth it.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(1 rating)
yield 6 to 8 or less if you want 2nds :D
prep time 15 Min
cook time 1 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For mexican stuffed peppers with ranchero sauce

  • 2 lb
    ground beef
  • 6 lg
    bell peppers
  • 1 lg
    onion chopped
  • 2 pkg
    taco seasoning
  • 2 sm
    cans tomato sauce, 8 oz each
  • 3 c
    cooked white rice, can cook it in chicken broth (1 1/2 cups uncooked rice if cooking in broth, optional)
  • 2 can
    water using the tomato sauce cans
  • 1/4 c
    velveeta cheese melt with milk and sour cream semi thick (cheese sauce)
  • RANCHERO SAUCE
  • 1/4 c
    margarine
  • 1/2 sm
    onion chopped
  • 1/4 c
    flour
  • 3 c
    knorr's chicken bouillon broth (use the builoon with 3 cups of water prepared per package directions)
  • 1 can
    mild rotel tomatoes or rotel with cilantro and lime or the fire roasted
  • salt and pepper, to taste

How To Make mexican stuffed peppers with ranchero sauce

  • Cutting the tops off the peppers.
    1
    Cut tops off bell peppers and de-seed. Save tops.
  • Softening peppers in a pot of water.
    2
    Place the peppers in a large pot of hot water and allow them to cook a bit on medium-low heat until tender while everything cooks, about 10 minutes. Not soggy, you still want them to stand.
  • Ground beef, onion, and bell pepper pieces in a Dutch oven.
    3
    Add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper pieces to a 4 or 5-quart Dutch oven.
  • Browning the meat.
    4
    Brown and drain grease. Preheat the oven to 350.
  • Taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and water added to the ground meat.
    5
    Add the taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and 2 tomato sauce cans of water to the meat. If too dry, add a little bit of extra water. The goal is the consistency of a Mexican jambalaya. If desired, you can add a bit of chili powder and cumin. Let simmer for the flavors to meld together.
  • Rice stirred into the mixture.
    6
    Add the cooked rice after simmering. Turn to the lowest setting or turn off the stove.
  • Sauteeing onions in butter.
    7
    Next prepare the ranchero sauce. In a large skillet, add butter and melt. Saute the 1/2 chopped onion in butter.
  • Sprinkling in flour.
    8
    Then sprinkle in the flour in (you may not need all of it). Stir like making a gravy.
  • Adding the Rotel to the onions.
    9
    Add the can of Rotel tomatoes and keep stirring.
  • Chicken broth added to the pan.
    10
    A little at a time, add the 3 cups of chicken broth until all blended and until it starts to thicken. You may not need all the broth.
  • Filling stuffed into the peppers.
    11
    Place the peppers in a 9X13 baking dish. Then fill them with the meat and rice mixture, almost overfilling them (you may have some mixture leftover).
  • Pouring some of the ranchero sauce over the peppers.
    12
    Next, pour some of the ranchero sauce over each pepper.
  • American cheese placed on the peppers.
    13
    As an option, add a slice of American cheese over each pepper.
  • Remaining ranchero sauce poured over the peppers.
    14
    Pour the remaining ranchero sauce in the baking dish to flood the pan.
  • Stuffed peppers baking in the oven.
    15
    Bake for about 30 minutes.

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