Description
The Louisiana version of stuffed peppers swaps the Italian seasoning for Cajun spices and replaces ground beef with a shrimp-and-rice filling that is lighter but every bit as satisfying. The trinity — onion, celery, bell pepper — shows up inside the bell pepper, which is a very Louisiana move. The cheese on top melts into a bubbling crust that makes the whole thing irresistible.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 6 large bell peppers (any color), tops cut off, seeds removed
- 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the whole peppers for 4 minutes. Remove and drain upside down.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, celery, and diced bell pepper for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped shrimp, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and cayenne. Cook 3 minutes until the shrimp are just pink.
- Stir in the drained tomatoes, cooked rice, and half the green onions. Mix well and remove from heat.
- Stand the blanched peppers upright in a baking dish. Fill each generously with the shrimp-rice mixture.
- Top each pepper with shredded pepper jack cheese. Pour 1/4 cup water into the bottom of the dish.
- Bake 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden and the peppers are tender. Top with remaining green onions and parsley.
Notes
- Chopping the shrimp rather than leaving them whole ensures every bite of filling has shrimp in it rather than empty rice pockets.
- Blanching the peppers first guarantees they will be tender after baking. Unblanched peppers can still be crunchy after 25 minutes in the oven.
- Pepper jack cheese adds a second layer of heat that complements the Cajun seasoning. Monterey Jack works if you want it milder.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 760
- Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 26
- Cholesterol: 145