Eggplant-Stuffed Bell Peppers with Baby Shrimp

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - I really enjoy creating this dish because of the beautiful, multicolored bell peppers. Stuffing bell peppers with the addition of eggplant and seafood really adds a creative twist to the dish. It is quite common in Cajun Country to incorporate multiple ingredients in a stuffing.

Prep Time: 2 Hours

Yields: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, peeled and (¼-inch) diced

2 red bell peppers

2 yellow bell peppers

2 orange bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

2 cups peeled and deveined baby shrimp tails

¼ pound butter

¼ pound ground beef

¼ pound ground pork

1 cup finely diced onions

¼ cup finely diced celery

¼ cup finely diced garlic

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup finely diced tomatoes

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Granulated garlic to taste

1½ cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs

¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Method:

NOTE: The bell peppers chosen should be of equal size. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a stockpot over medium-high heat, boil eggplants in lightly salted water 10–15 minutes or until tender. Drain eggplants and set aside. Cut the top off of each bell pepper. Mince bell pepper tops and set aside, discarding stems. Remove cores from all bell peppers, carefully not to tear the shells. Set peppers aside, discarding cores. In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and ground pork. Cook 7–10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring constantly. Add onions, celery, minced garlic and cooked eggplants then cook 3–5 minutes. Add chicken stock. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook 10–12 minutes or until meat is tender. Mix shrimp and tomatoes into the mixture. Season to taste using salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Additional stock may be necessary to retain moisture. Add minced bell pepper tops, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Stuff reserved bell peppers with equal portions of mixture. Additional bread crumbs may be sprinkled on top. Place on a baking pan with 2-inch lip. Fill pan with 1 inch water. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until internal temperature of peppers reaches 145°F. Remove foil and brown bell peppers 5–7 minutes. Enjoy.

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