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Spinach and Gorgonzola Stuffed Bell Peppers

A baked dish of bell peppers filled with a spinach, rice, and Gorgonzola mixture.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 9 ingredients
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Why it works: Garlic and spinach match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,435 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓

Spinach and Gorgonzola Stuffed Bell Peppers

Oven375°F
Time15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the peppers

  1. Remove tops of bell peppers and reserve them.

  2. Coarsely chop the tops of the peppers, discarding stems, and set aside.

  3. Remove seeds from the peppers.

  4. Place the peppers in a microwave‑safe baking dish, cover loosely, and cook in the microwave on high power for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender crisp.

  5. Drain the peppers well and set aside.

Make the rice filling

  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

  2. Add the chopped bell pepper and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tender crisp.

  3. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

  4. Add water, salt, and black pepper. Heat to boiling and stir once or twice.

  5. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

  6. Remove the mixture from heat.

  7. Add spinach and stir until it is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes.

  8. Stir in 1/2 cup of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.

Stuff and bake

  1. Fill the peppers with equal amounts of the rice mixture and top with the remaining cheese.

  2. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

469Calories
14 gProtein
22 gFat
55 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Red Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Spinach1 cup raw (30g)7
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Garlic + spinachtop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,435 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  2. Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together17,451 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  3. Pepper + spinachtop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,400 recipes

    Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

  4. Pepper + garlictop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together27,090 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  5. Rice + spinachtop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together518 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Red bell peppers
Form the edible shell that holds the filling and softens when baked.
Uncooked rice
Absorbs the cooking liquid and forms the bulk and texture of the filling.
Garlic
Adds aroma and pungent savoriness to the filling.
Spinach
Wilts into the filling, adding moisture and a mild, earthy flavor.
Gorgonzola cheese
Melts into the filling and browns on top, adding creaminess and sharp, salty flavor.
Butter
Adds fat and richness to the pan before the aromatics are cooked.

The step that matters

Simmer the rice until the liquid is absorbed. Rice must absorb all the water while staying tender. Lifting the lid or stopping early leaves the filling wet and undercooked, and the peppers cannot firm it up in the oven.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, butter, garlic, rice, spinach, cheese):

  1. Parsleyfits better
  2. Thymefits better
  3. Cuminfits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, butter, garlic, rice, spinach, cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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