These sweet roasted peppers are loaded with bold Mediterranean flavors including ground lamb, feta and lemon and topped with crunchy toasted pine nuts. It pairs perfectly with a side of creamy tzatziki!
I can’t typically get my hands on ground lamb in our small town, so when i acquired a pound, i knew i needed to make something special with it. If you don’t eat lamb or can’t get your hands on it, feel free to substitute ground beef. Lamb has a slightly gamey flavor, so venison would be a good alternative as well. A mixture of half venison and half beef, would be a particularly good substitute.
Mediterranean Lamb & Couscous Stuffed Peppers
3 medium bell peppers (red, yellow or green)
1.5 c. chopped onions
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried mint leaves
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried dill
¼ c. lemon juice
1 c. chicken broth
½ c. couscous
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 oz. ground lamb
Salt and pepper
¼ c. toasted pine nuts
½ c. crumbled feta
Preheat oven to 450°. Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds, then place on a greased cookie sheet cut side down. Bake at 450° for 13-15 minutes. When peppers are browned nicely, removed from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, heat olive oil and add onions and spices. Sauté onions until they have a nice brown color, about 5 minutes. Add lamb and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes.
To the sauté pan with the onions and meat, add the chicken broth, ½ of the lemon juice and couscous. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, immediately turn it down to low and cover. Let it sit covered for 4-5 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as the remaining lemon juice, toasted pine nuts and ½ of the feta.
Turn roasted peppers cut-side up, and fill with mixture. Be generous when filling, and overflow the top of the pepper a bit. Top the filled peppers with the remaining feta. Return peppers to oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until feta is slightly melted. Serve warm with a side of cold tzatziki.
Mediterranean Lamb & Couscous Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 medium bell peppers red, yellow or green
- 1.5 c. chopped onions
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried mint leaves
- 1 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1 tsp. dried dill
- ¼ c. lemon juice
- 1 c. chicken broth
- ½ c. couscous
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 8 oz. ground lamb
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ c. toasted pine nuts
- ½ c. crumbled feta
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°. Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds, then place on a greased cookie sheet cut side down. Bake at 450° for 13-15 minutes. When peppers are browned nicely, removed from the oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, heat olive oil and add onions and spices. Sauté onions until they have a nice brown color, about 5 minutes. Add lamb and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes.
- To the sauté pan with the onions and meat, add the chicken broth, ½ of the lemon juice and couscous. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, immediately turn it down to low and cover. Let it sit covered for 4-5 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as the remaining lemon juice, toasted pine nuts and ½ of the feta.
- Turn roasted peppers cut-side up, and fill with mixture. Be generous when filling, and overflow the top of the pepper a bit. Top the filled peppers with the remaining feta. Return peppers to oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until feta is slightly melted. Serve warm with a side of cold tzatziki.
Nutrition
Recipe from Sunset
Donna says
I’ve made this recipe for over a decade, my recipe came from Sunset Magazine without the dill which sounds really weird and without the pine nuts which I admit might be a nice addition. I serve a fatoush salad with it.
Werona @cookiesorbiscuits says
These look delicious. I love lamb, as I grew up in Australia where it was so easy to find. I definitely need to try this recipe.
Crystal | Apples & Sparkle says
This is a really lovely change-up from a standard stuffed pepper recipe, I love ground lamb! : )