In an effort to introduce some more exciting meals to our dinner table we have been playing around with some old classics. One that I used to love when I was younger is the stuffed vegetable; a nice wide variety can be used which makes it easy to alter. I usually use regular beef mince to make the stuffing mixture however I have decided to create a healthier option and use Steggles chicken mince instead. This is because it is a lean source of protein, has the heart tick of approval and is made from nothing but a blend of chicken breast and thigh. Below is my recipe for stuffed vegetables; tomato and capsicum specific but it can be easily adjusted to suit you personal taste. If you want more ideas on how you can add chicken mince to your meals click here for some delicious ideas.
Chicken and rice stuffed vegetables
Ingredients:
500g Steggles chicken mince
1x cup cooked rice
1x onion (diced)
4x bacon rashers (sliced)
1x tbs garlic
1x tbs mixed herbs
salt and pepper
Vegetables of choice – (I used 12x tomatoes and 5x capsicum)
Fetta (Persian is my favourite)
200g tomato paste
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 180°c.
2. Heat up small amount of oil in pan and fry chicken mince, onion, bacon and garlic over medium heat.
3. Slice tops off tomatoes and empty all juices and seeds into mince mix (so there is minimum wastage).
4. Add rice and season vegetables and mince mix. (If using tomatoes add a teaspoon of sugar to mix so they don’t go bitter).
5. Fill vegetables with mix and top with crumbled fetta.
6. Bake in oven for approx 30-40 minutes.
7. ENJOY!
Left over mince mix can be made into pie or pastry parcels.