Stuffed Bell Peppers: How to Make With Ground Bison

Are you looking for something different and healthy to do for dinner tonight? Well look no further because these bison stuffed bell peppers are exactly what you need! They’re both healthy and delicious for the whole family to love. 

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Do I have to use ground bison?

You might be thinking ‘do i have to use bison, it’s pretty expensive these days?’ It is considerably more pricey than beef and for good reason. This protien is learner, healthier and generally raised in better conditions for the animal.

Although this is a substantially smaller industry in comparison to beef, we have quite a few bison ranches close by. This helps us with the cost because we have the option to buy a whole or partial animal instead of store bought. It’s also great for us because we’re able to see how the animals are raised before slaughter. They seem happier than most cows I’ve met. Check out nearby areas to see if there’s a ranch you can buy from directly. They’re usually cheaper than the grocery store.

If you’re unable to find ground bison or you already have beef on hand you can totally use that! It’s still delicious but it is going to be more greasy. At that point you should mix in some ground italian sausage (I like a 50/50 ratio), that makes all the difference and it tates amazing. 

What should I use as a filler?

Wild rice is my go-to filler for these stuffed bell peppers, my second choice is tricolor quinoa. Both of these ingredients give this dish a depth of flavor that white rice simply cannot achieve. Also, these grains are so much more than just a filler, they’re good sources of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. I have used white rice in place of these healthier options, and it still comes out pretty tasty. But to be honest, it doesn’t even come close to being as flavorful. 

I’m sure you’ll notice that I don’t have measurements for my herbs and spices below. That’s because I don’t measure my seasonings, I just add to taste. Some days I want specific flavors to be more prominent than others. 

All about the peppers

There are a couple ways you can prepare your bell peppers. Some people cut the tops off and stand them up straight but I prefer slicing them longways leaving the stem intact. This gives you a larger area for cheese which we all need. Leaving the stem helps hold the filling inside. 

I’ve seen many things about how to pick bells based on the number of lobes for cooking VS eating raw. They claim that the female peppers (those with 4 lobes) are sweeter and better for eating raw and the males (those with 3 lobes) should be grilled or cooked somehow. Recently this myth has gotten more attention and has been deemed just that, a myth.

The sweetness of the peppers is all about how ripe they are and the number of lobes they have doesn’t make a difference in flavor. They can have anywhere between 2 and 5 and I can’t tell them apart once they’re all cut up on my plate. So put your effort into finding plump, ripe peppers. I go with a mix of yellow, orange and red peppers because in my opinion they’re much tastier than the green ones.

Traditionally this recipie uses fresh grated parmesan cheese as a topping but I didn’t have that on hand at one point so I used pepperjack and it was delicious. If I do have parmesan I’ll use that but at this point I don’t go buy it specifically for these peppers. 

Ground Bison Stuffed Bell Peppers

What You’ll Need:

Cutting board/Knife

Baking Dish

Large Skillet

Foil (optional for easier cleanup)

Ingredients:

1 LB Ground Bison

5 Large Yellow, Orange or Red Bell Peppers 

1 C Cooked Wild Rice or Quiona

1 Onion, Diced

4 Large Galic Cloves

1 Jalapeño, Diced 

1/2 C Shredded Pepperjack Cheese

2 TBS Butter

1 TBS Avocado Oil

Herbs and Spices to Taste Including: Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Slice bell peppers in half, longways. Remove seeds and veins leaving stems intact.
3. Heat large skillet with butter and avocado oil over medium low heat. Add ground bison and sauté with herbs and spices until almost cooked. Add diced jalapeno, diced onions and minced garlic and continue to cook over medium heat until meat has browned.
4. Mix cooked rice/quiona into meat and stuff pepper halves. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve immediately.

Try these stuffed bell peppers using the mini peppers. They’re super fun and make a great appetizer for your next party!