Summer means bell peppers will soon be in abundance and I absolutely adore them, whether they’re green, red, yellow or orange. I especially love stuffed peppers and there are so many ways to fill them, whether you’re a carnivore, vegan, or somewhere in between. OK, judging by the title of this post, this one’s for all the meat lovers out there – think of it as a cheesesteak sub, minus the bread (and the carbs!) And lots of ooey, gooey cheese on the top and bottom – yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!

I used thinly sliced top sirloin sandwich steaks that were on sale (of course) at Harris Teeter for this batch, but feel free to use roast beef from your deli, or even Steak-umms®. It all depends on your preference of the thickness of the meat. Overall, I think I like the Steak-umms® the best, but the sirloin in this recipe is sure to delight if you love a great cheesesteak with a little bit of texture!

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 6)

• 4 large bell peppers (your choice of color)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• ½ red bell pepper, diced small
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (or choose your favorite mushrooms)
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Garlic salt, to taste
• 2 pounds top sirloin sandwich steaks, thinly sliced in bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauce, to taste
• 16 slices provolone cheese (I used reduced fat)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Slice your peppers in half, lengthwise, and remove the seeds and membranes (love my Pampered Chef Scoop Loop for this, and it’s only $5.50!)

Blanch the peppers for 3 minutes.

Drain them on paper towels.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the mushrooms, onions, red pepper, salt and pepper until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the veggies to a large bowl. Do not wipe out the skillet.

Place the rest of the olive oil in the skillet, heat to medium and then add the steak and season it with the Worcestershire and hot sauces, and some more garlic salt. Cook to desired temperature – I like mine on the rare side since it will cook more once it goes into the oven.

Drain the meat if necessary and add in the mushrooms, onions, etc. Obviously I missed the medium-rare temp I like, sigh.

Place the green pepper halves in greased casserole dishes (I used two due to the size of the peppers.) Line the inside of each side of the pepper with a slice of the provolone.

Fill each pepper with the meat and veggie mixture.

Top each pepper with another slice of provolone.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until the cheese starts getting bubbly and brown.

For me, these are a stand-alone meal if you’re avoiding carbs. If not, serve with some wild rice (white rice if you have picky kids, as pictured below) or a tossed salad. BTW, these reheat well in the microwave, so they’re perfect for lunch the next day!

If you love stuffed peppers, check out some of my previous posts, such as Kel’s Festive Stuffed Red Peppers with Black Beans and Corn,

or my Stuffed Bell Peppers with Mushrooms, Wild Rice and Habañero Cheese.

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

Follow Kel’s Café of All Things Food on Twitter at: @kelscafe