Dirty Rice Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or green), tops cut off and seeds removed
• 12 oz ground pork (or beef, or a mix)
• 4 oz chicken livers, finely chopped (optional, skip for a milder dish)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper (use the tops you cut off), diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups long-grain white rice, cooked
• 1½ cups chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp Deep South Dirty Rice Blend, divided
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 2 green onions, sliced thin, for serving
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Olive oil

Directions

1. 1

   Prep the peppers. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a baking dish. Stand the hollowed peppers upright in the dish. Brush the insides with olive oil and season lightly with salt.

2. 2

   Brown the meat. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat a splash of oil. Brown the pork (and livers if using) until fully cooked and starting to caramelize, 6–8 min. Don't rush this, that browning is the foundation.

3. 3

   Build the base. Add onion, celery, and diced bell pepper tops to the skillet. Cook until softened, 5 min. Add garlic and 1 Tbsp of Deep South Dirty Rice Blend, stir to coat, and cook 1 min more.

4. 4

   Finish the dirty rice. Deglaze with chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the cooked rice, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Taste and adjust, add the second Tbsp of Deep South Dirty Rice Blend if you want more depth. The mixture should be moist but not soupy.

5. 5

   Fill and roast. Spoon the dirty rice tightly into each pepper. Cover the baking dish with foil and roast 30 min. Uncover and roast 10–15 min more until the peppers are tender and slightly charred at the edges.

6. 6

   Serve. Let rest 5 minutes. Top with green onions and extra hot sauce at the table.