Ballpark Stuffed Peppers

This isn’t the first time we’d tried a riff on stuffed peppers around here. I loved our last creation – Chicken & Couscous Stuffed Peppers, probably because I like anything with pearl couscous. This variation goes pretty much the opposite direction and is stuffed full of rice, cheese, and the American classic – hot dog. Think of it like a reverse loaded hot dog! A delicious, messy ballpark hotdog, stuffed inside a pepper instead.

We use Stadium/Ballpark mustard in our recipe (and pretty much anytime we need mustard). It’s a Cleveland thing – a mild brown mustard that has been used at the Cleveland Indians ballpark for decades. Apparently there’s a controversy about it – here’s the story. When Selim moved to the Mid-Atlantic, he was mildly appalled that he couldn’t find it in stores and that I had never heard of this miraculous substance. I was a bit skeptical, but he was right. Stadium mustard is definitely a family favorite for both of us now. We bring home a few bottles of Bertman’s every time we go to Cleveland.

Ballpark Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• 3 large bell peppers
• 1/2 cup rice
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 3 hot dogs, chopped
• 1 tbsp mustard (see above for our favorite)
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1/2 cup + cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Prepare the rice – in a small saucepan, cover rice with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. After it’s boiled, reduce heat to low and cover until water is absorbed & rice fluffy.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Add the onions and toss with the oil. Then add the hot dogs to the dish and cover. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, until the hot dog pieces have crisped up a bit and the onions are soft and fragrant.
4. Once cooked, stir the onions and hot dogs into the rice, along with the cheese, mustard, and hot sauce.
5. Stuff the rice mixture into the peppers.
6. Place the peppers upright in high-edged oven-safe dish. Add a thin layer of water to cover the bottom of the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Serve topped with an additional sprinkle of cheese if desired.

Serves 2.