Peppers stuffed with minced meat and tomato

Ingredients for 15 servings:

• 15 bell peppers, color of your choice
• 2 kg minced meat, preferably ground beef
• 350 g onion(s), approx.
• 2 packs of tomatoes, chunky, Mediterranean, 390 g each
• 5 cloves garlic, approx.
• 1 tbsp oregano, chopped
• 3 stalks of thyme, the plucked leaves
• some salt and pepper
• 2 onions
• n. B. Garlic, 1 – 2 cloves
• 1 large can of tomatoes
• 1 pack of sour cream or crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 lemon(s), the juice
• e.g. salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 55 minutes

without eggs and bread

Wash the peppers, cut off the tops, and remove the seeds and inner skin. Remove the stems from the tops. Place the chopped tomatoes in a sieve and drain well. Retain any liquid that drains for the sauce. Finely dice the onions, press the garlic, pluck the thyme from the stems, and chop the oregano. Add them to the minced meat along with the tomatoes and knead, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Fill the prepared peppers with the minced meat mixture, pressing firmly. Replace the lid, place the filled peppers next to each other in ovenproof dishes, and fill with about 1 cm of water. Cook in a preheated oven at 180°C (convection oven) for about 40 minutes. While the peppers are cooking, prepare the sauce. Dice the onions, sauté in a little oil, add the garlic, and cook briefly while stirring. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the onions and stir until lightly caramelized. Deglaze with the drained water, add a large can of tomatoes, puree, bring to a boil, and simmer for a few minutes. Stir in the sour cream, season with salt and pepper, and add lemon juice to taste. In the summer, when ingredients are in season, I make larger batches and freeze them in portions along with the sauce. How long the peppers actually need depends on the size, quantity, and oven. The mince should be thoroughly cooked, of course; the peppers will stay fairly firm since they’re standing in a small amount of water.