Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers

Picture from http://peaceloveandlowcarb.blogspot.com/

I found this on the ever-present Pinterest, and I KNEW it had to be made. If I recall, within 5 seconds of my discovery, I was already sending messages, pictures, and links to the Hubster over Facebook chat, and telling him that I found our dinner. No other choices allowed.

There are a LOT of versions for this recipe out there, but my favorite one (and I think it's the original) is found HERE.

It may or may not be my favorite just because of the blog title. Or the last ingredient.
I'm not a flower child wannabe, what are you talking about?

I immediately put together a shopping list and told the Hubster he was stopping at the store on the way home from work.

Here's what you need:


8 oz. Thinly Sliced Roast Beef
8 Slices Provolone Cheese
2 Large Green Bell Peppers
1 Medium Sweet Onion
6 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 Tbs. Butter
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Garlic - Minced
Salt and Pepper - to taste
(2 Tbs. Peace and Love)

Here's what you do:

Cut the peppers in half from top to bottom, and gut them. Get as much of the ribs and seeds out as you can so they're stuffable.

Cut up the onions and mushrooms, then saute them in the butter, olive oil, and garlic over medium heat. Season while cooking with the salt and pepper. Leave them in the pan till the onions and mushrooms are carmelized (takes about 25-30 minutes)

Slice the roast beef into thin strips and add it to the pan. Let it cook for another 5-10 minutes.

While it's cooking, line the inside of each pepper with a slice of the cheese. Once it's done, fill each pepper with the mixture. You'll have enough that it'll heap over the top of each one, and that's totally okay. Stack another slice of cheese on top.

Set each pepper half on a cookie sheet and pop those puppies in the preheated oven at 400 degrees. Let them cook for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese on top is golden brown.

You'll end up with 4 servings, and the original post says they're 6 net carbs per serving (bonus if your'e dieting!)

My experience:

I'm going to take a minute right here and apologize for the quality of my pictures. I'm still in the phone-is-my-camera stage of my life. 

My favorite part about these is how EASY they are. Definitely a simple, healthy, hearty meal.

1. Cut the pepper in half with the stem on FIRST, then gut it. You can cut the nub of the stem off if you want, but wait till after so you can avoid having a gaping hole in the side of your pepper.

2. Buy the biggest peppers you can find. We're talking... dig through the bin like an animal, and ignore weird looks. This makes enough stuffing for 3 peppers if they're medium-ish. Of course... the mixture is good on its own or on a piece of french bread. So you could just use medium peppers then have a snack while they cook. I won't tell.

3. Taking 25 minutes to carmelize is overrated. I don't have that kind of patience when it's 6:00 and we need those peppers in the oven PRONTO. I used a higher heat and cooked them faster, and everything turned out just fine. I'm sure it's better if you wait; but, you won't ruin it if you hurry it up with more heat.

4. If you cut the roast beef "strips" into smaller pieces, they're a little less messy to eat.

The first time we made it with slices of roast beef.

5. Don't be afraid to cram that cheese slice in there. They won't fit. Just shove and fold till it's going completely around and is touching the edges. You want to leave as much room as possible for the mixture!

The one on the left is crammed in, the others need some more poking and prodding.

6. It doesn't say to do this... but it just seems like common sense. Spray the pan first. You'll thank me later when you have drippy melted cheese everywhere.

7. I like onions. Mucho. Me gusta onions. I would have put more in, but the Hubster is on the opposite side of this debate and says it was fine where it was at. So.... you choose. Also, don't go too easy on the salt and pepper. It doesn't need a TON, but you can under-do it.

8. Don't panic when you look in the oven and the cheese is brown on top way before your timer goes off. LEAVE IT IN THE OVEN. If you pull it out too soon, the peppers won't be cooked enough. The flavors won't blend as well, and IMHO, the texture combo just isn't fantastic. The best way to know if they're done is to just give one a little squeeze. If it's still really rigid, it's not cooked enough.

9. Just a heads up... You'll probably be like me and like these enough to make them twice in one week. Don't say I didn't warn you.

EDIT: I just saw a recommendation that sounds SUPERB. Try this: Cut the stem and surround out, but leave the pepper whole. Gut it, and follow the rest of the recipe as directed. Place each pepper standing up in a large muffin tin to cook.