Say what you will about Paula Deen (and people certainly have said many things about Ms. Deen), the woman knows comfort food. (And I bet she’s fun as hell to hang out with.) Back in the days when the Food Network was the Food Channel and they actually aired shows where real chefs made real food, I enjoyed Paula’s homey and down-to-earth manner and how she cracked herself up – and even though the thought of all of that butter scared me even when I ate the stuff, her recipes did look pretty darn good.
Despite being vegan and despite the crap that’s now on the Food Network, I still find inspiration from Paula. Case in point: these brunch-stuffed peppers. This is one of those recipes that I jotted down long ago on my endless and ever-expanding “recipes for the blog” list and I finally got around to making my version. Sure, these are ideal for a lazy brunch, but they make an excellent lunch or dinner entree, too.
Good stuff about – –
Bell peppers:
- one cup of chopped peppers gives you 100% of your daily dose of vitamin C
- contain lycopene – an antioxidant that fights free radicals and may be beneficial in warding off prostate cancer
- low in calories, but rich in fiber and potassium
Don’t forget to enter the NuNaturals/Jazzy Vegetarian/Todd’s Seeds/ Crave Eat Heal E-book giveaway! Four winners!
Vegan Brunch-Stuffed Peppers
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 65
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
With inspiration from Paula Deen, I created these brunch- or dinner-worthy stuffed peppers.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 vegan Italian or other variety vegan sausage, chopped
- ground black pepper, to taste
- splash of Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 14-ounces firm tofu, pressed, drained, and crumbled
- 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric
- 1/4 tsp. kala namak (black salt)
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 4 large bell peppers, cut in half, seeded and cored
- 8 slices vegan cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425-degrees and line a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan with foil.
- Add the crumbled tofu, nutritional yeast, thyme, turmeric, kala namak, smoked paprika, and pepper to a large bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a splash of water or vegetable broth and sauté the onion for 3-5 minutes. Add the hash browns and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown. Add more water/broth a little at a time to prevent sticking – but you want to get some lovely brown bits so don’t add too much liquid. When the hash browns are soft and browned, stir in the garlic, vegan sausage, and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside while you prepare the tofu.
- Put the tofu mixture into that same pan and add a splash of vegetable broth, water, or tamari. Cook, stirring often, until heated through. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and the hash brown mixture.
- Place the bell pepper halves into the prepared pan and divide the filling between them. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
- If you like, place one slice of vegan cheddar cheese (or your favorite variety) on top of each pepper half. Set the oven to broil and watching carefully, melt and lightly brown the cheese.
- Serve with additional chopped parsley.
Notes
- Fresh salsa makes a nice addition to these stuffed peppers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 478
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 599
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 18
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 34
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 43
Oh my gosh those look sooooo good Annie! Heavenly and my kind of food and that melted cheese on top, wow. I kind of drooled on myself just now.
The cheese kinds sets it all off, you know? I won’t tell anyone about the drooling :-)! Lord knows I’ve drooled many times over your recipes, girl!
Looks amazing, great flavors and textures and I’m craving them for breakfast now. 🙂 Thanks!
I could use one myself! Thanks, Christine!
Oh my, what a warm and belly filling meal.
That’s it! Definitely belly-warming. True comfort food.
I am so in love with your pictures, Annie! They tell your recipe’s story in such a wonderful way.
Oh, Paula Deen… She really bit it with the “plantation wedding” debacle and terrible way she treated her African American employees.
Thanks, Cadry!
Paula really paid the price – which is I guess the market in action (i.e., voting with one’s feet). It’s a shame really because her story is quite compelling: single mom with agoraphobia starts a sandwich delivery service, opens a family restaurant, gets on the Food Network and builds an empire. The rise and fall of Paula Deen. Perhaps she learned something and there will be a rise-fall-rise for her. And in a perfect world – she’d come back as a vegan, right ;-)?
Too funny! I used to watch Paula Deen bread mac n’ cheese, wrap it in bacon and deep fry it while I was on the treadmill. She is a great TV personality but her food choices have been less than desirable. Love your take on her unhealthy meals!
My heart stopped just reading that mac-n-cheese description! Oy. And yes, she was great in front of the camera, but it’s no wonder she ended up on Type II diabetes meds.
Oh my goodness. You had me at brunch, but then I kept reading and also saw hash browns….and then stuffed peppers. I’m going to a girl’s weekend next weekend and I just found our morning brunch recipe! Paired with some mimosas and we are good to go. LOVE this updated take on a tofu scramble. Thanks SO much for sharing this one, I am pumped!
Hi Jennifer! Thanks so much! I hope you and The Girls 🙂 like them! Have a fun weekend.
Cooked Peppers and I don’t get along very well which is really strange because I could live off of raw red pepper. Oh, well…woe is me 😉 The look lovely though. My husband grew up on a similar version he calls Porcupines…must have been a ’70’s thing!
So funny, Angela! Raw peppers don’t agree with me :-). Porcupines, huh? Never heard stuffed peppers called that, but it’s kinda cute!
Wow. Wow. WOW!! Love this!! I have to find a sub for the sausage (and use my own cheese), but everything else is good with me. Looks so yummy! No brunch plans, but I think I have to make these anyway. 😉
Thanks, Ricki! What I love about stuffed peppers is that there are endless ways to fill them :-).
I love Paula Deen, and I think she got shafted big time. I enjoyed watching her show, even if I wouldn’t eat a thing that she made. She was just so darn funny.
These look divine, and way healthier than Paula’s. Thanks for the great recipe. 🙂
I really enjoyed watching Paula, too. She had a very warm and funny style. I don’t really understand everything that happened to her, but it did seem that her remarks were taken out of context and from deep in her past. We all screw up, make mistakes, and say things we regret. And we all should have a shot at a second chance. On the other hand, maybe she’s enjoying being away from the spotlight – spending time with her husband and family.
I totally agree! Thanks Annie. 🙂
Yum!! I want these now!!!
Oh my goodness Annie!!! Now that’s how to stuff a pepper, I love this idea! Is that your butternut cheeze on them? xo
Pingback: Vegan Recipes To Impress a Carnivore Part 2
I made your very delectable recipe & loved it too! 🙂 Yummy yummy it was! x
Yay! Glad to hear that! Thanks, Sophie!
Ooh, gourmet breakfast! I love the colours too! There’s certainly no skimping on a vegan diet with this one. I’ll be sure to share the recipe around!
Thank you! Yes – the colors are wonderful for morning – perks one right up!
Holy Crackers Annie! I don’t know how I missed this, but I’m so glad I found it!
Awh this is great! Are the nutritional values per half pepper? Sorry, I’m thick like that sometimes. ^^
Thanks! Nutritional values are for 1 whole pepper per person.
Pingback: 101 Stuffed Pepper Recipes