Stuffed Peppers with White Sauce

This is another one of my recipes I created out of need. My fiancee really loved stuffed peppers, when she could eat them, but she can't have red sauce, and she also isn't supposed to have too much red meat. We were having my mom over for dinner, who also loves stuffed peppers, but can't indulge for the same reasons stated above.

So I created this new spin on an old favorite. It uses lean freshly ground white turkey meat in a Bechamel sauce with sauteed onions, shallots, garlic, and mushrooms. It was a big hit with everyone and needless to say I am very pleased with that.

So please give it try and let me know what you think!


Note: Makes Six Stuffed Peppers
Special Tools or Equipment Needed:  Garlic Press, 9x13 Glass Dish

Ingredients:

For the Bechamel Sauce:
  • 6 Tablespoons of Butter
  • 3 Cloves of Garlic
  • 1/2 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
  • 4 Cups Cold Milk
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste

For the Filling:
  • 4 Pounds of Low-Fat Ground White Turkey Meat
  • 2 Onions
  • 3 Shallots
  • 6 to 8 Medium to Large Button Mushrooms
  • 4 Cloves of Garlic
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 Cup White Wine, Cold
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
6 Peppers
You will also need about 8 Cups of Cooked Rice to line your bowls to serve the stuffed peppers on. 


Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Wash and prepare your peppers, but do not discard the tops.
  3. Cook and prepare your rice to your liking. Set aside.

For the Bechamel Sauce:
  1. Over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pot melt down the butter.
  2. Using a garlic press, press the garlic into the melted butter and allow to cook about three to five minutes being careful not to brown it.
  3. Dump the flour in all at once, and using a wooden spoon mix and blend with the butter allowing it to cook for another three to five minutes, again, being careful not to brown it. We're going for a tan-ish color.
  4. Once the roux has been formed and properly colored, switch to a whisk and begin pouring in the cold milk. Continue to whisk until all the milk is in and the sauce starts to simmer.
  5. At this point add your salt and pepper to the taste of your liking, and continue to whisk the sauce until it thickens.
  6. Once thickened, cover, remove from heat, and set aside.



For the Filling:

In a large heavy bottomed saute pan over medium heat, apply about two tablespoon of olive oil and begin to cook the ground turkey meat adding salt and pepper to your taste.


While the meat is cooking, begin processing your onions, shallots, mushrooms, and garlic. Dice or chop your onions and shallots, press your garlic, and clean and slice the mushrooms. If the mushrooms are fairly large you should slice them in half first, then slice them down to get half sized slices. Remember, we want them to fit nicely in the peppers. Once all is prepped, set aside until the turkey meat is done.


Once the turkey meat is thoroughly cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the meat to a bowl, cover, and set aside.

Use the cold white wine to deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon. Once deglazed, dump in the  onions, shallots, garlic, and mushrooms. Add more olive oil if it seems too dry. Cook these until the onions are translucent, and the mushrooms are done to your liking.

Dump the turkey meat back in the pan, as well as any and all accumulated juices. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for about five to eight minutes to blend the flavors, stirring and mixing with the wooden spoon and occasionally tasting for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.



Once the filling is ready, lower heat back to medium, and pour in about a third of the sauce, or more if you want. Make it look right to you.


Once this reaches a simmer, simmer it for approximately five minutes while constantly stirring. Then remove from heat and set aside.

Pour some sauce into the glass baking dish about a third of the way up. Place in your peppers, and begin spooning in the completed filling until all the peppers are equally full.



Place the pepper tops back onto their respective pepper, fill glass dish with more sauce if desirable. But not too much as this has a tendency to boil over. I would even suggest putting the glass baking dish on a baking sheet to prevent spillage.

Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the sauce is simmering and all the peppers are heated through thoroughly.

A few minutes before pulling out the peppers, prepare the bowls with a bed of cooked rice. Once the peppers are ready to serve, place a pepper on the rice, remove the top and ladle some of the sauce over each pepper. Serve and enjoy!



*Note
If you don't have a garlic press you can alway mince it.

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