These stuffed peppers are just right for two people and they are full of old-fashioned goodness without being loaded with sugar, salt, and things you probably aren't supposed to eat, particularly if you're diabetic. The peppers are simple to prepare and cook in about 30 minutes in the air fryer. I sometimes make the peppers when I have ground beef for another meal (like spaghetti, in which I use the tomato puree I also use for the peppers) and don't want to create too many of the same leftovers. The peppers make a nice alternative to using all the beef one way. I use sugar-free barbecue sauce in the recipe, which is more available in stores now (Walmart has it, for example), and helps keep the carbohydrate load in the peppers in check. A small amount of oats helps bind the meat mixture while also providing beneficial fiber. The peppers taste like "the real thing," albeit a bit less sweet than traditional versions. They are good! Enjoy!
Diabetic-Friendly Stuffed Peppers -- Serves 2
1 medium bell pepper, washed, split in half, and stem, seeds, and membrane removed
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1 large egg
2 - 3 tablespoons of sugar-free barbecue sauce, plus 1 tablespoon extra to top
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 cup of quick oats
1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning (dried herbs)
1 - 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to sprinkle
1/3 pound (5-6 ounces) lean ground beef (93 percent lean)
1 -2 tablespoons of tomato puree, plus 2 - 3 tablespoons more to top
Cut a small piece of aluminum foil to fit in the bottom and an inch or two up the sides of your air fryer basket. Spritz the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Put the onion and a teaspoon or so of water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for a minute to soften the onion. I sometimes add to the onions the small pepper trimmings from around the top of the pepper (the ones you need to cut off to make the pepper look good, but are still usable). Let the onion cool a bit and then add the egg, 2-3 tablespoons of barbecue sauce, salt, pepper, oats, Italian seasoning, 1-2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan, the ground beef, and 1-2 tablespoons of tomato puree. Mix everything together well and stuff the mixture into the pepper cavities. Put the pepper halves on the prepared aluminum foil in your air fryer basket. Mix the remaining 2-3 tablespoons of tomato puree with the remaining 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce and put the mixture on top of the stuffed pepper halves. Sprinkle a little more Parmesan cheese on top of the peppers (a teaspoon or so). Air fry the stuffed pepper halves at 320 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of a stuffed pepper reaches at least 165 degrees. Let the stuffed pepper halves cool a few minutes before serving them.
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