Kung Pao Stuffed Peppers

I'm back on my stuffed pepper kick. How many different things can taste great in a bell pepper? The mystery remains.

Most recently in this unfolding saga, I made Korean Style Stuffed Peppers. Before that, and arguably my favorite: Southwestern Stuffed Peppers. Sofar, nothing has gone wrong inside a stuffed pepper. 

I strongly considered chicken parm stuffed peppers, but those will be for another day (can you imagine, though??). I had to make a choice and spicy was the win.

I've made Kung Pao Chicken before, but did things a little differently here. Breaded chicken, a little variance to the sauce...cooking is all about changing spices and seasonings to taste, so the cooking road can weave through the woods and the mountains, all to get to the destination you want.

After seeding the peppers and making my little pepper vessels, I started on the filling. In a large saucepan, I added thinly sliced serrano pepper, garlic, peppers and onions, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, rice wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar and heated it to a simmer. Once the peppers and onions started to soften, I tossed in some cooked breaded chicken and then cooked rice.

Balsamic vinegar is not a typical add for my in an Asian dish, but I can thank another food blogger for that one. I tried it out after seeing a kung pao cauliflower post.

I then stuffed the rice mixture into the peppers and baked them in a casserole for about 25 minutes.

I like the peppers with some crunch, so less than 30 minutes is perfect. Want 'em softer? I think you can sort it out.

These little guys were just a little spicy and really the right thing for acting in a Kung Pao play.

The rice and the breading on the chicken soaked up some of the sauce, so proportionally the recipe worked out perfect. Plus, there's something about a one stop shop kind of dish. Toss this little guy in a tupperware and lunch is self-contained. My favorite kind of bowl is an edible one. 

I think making mini versions of these with smaller chilies would be a delight!

Kung Pao Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Ingredients:

6 bell peppers

1 serrano pepper, sliced

1/4 cup chopped peppers and onions

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2/3 cup soy sauce 

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1-2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (or sriracha)

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup cooked breaded or grilled chicken, diced

Instructions:

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and scoop out seeds. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add serrano pepper, garlic, peppers and onions, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, rice wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar. Heat to a simmer, then cook for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables soften. Stir in cooked rice and chicken. Stuff inside peppers. Add to casserole dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.