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+ servings
Baked gemista in a baking dish set on a marble countertop.

Gemista (Greek Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes)

Catherine
Gemista are Greek Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes (and other vegetables) that are filled with rice and fresh herbs and baked in a tomato sauce. This classic Greek dish can be made with ground meat or without for a vegan option.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Greek
Servings 8
Calories 389 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 bell peppers and/or tomatoes
  • 2-4 potatoes cut into wedges (use as many potatoes as you can fit in your pan around the vegetables)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil + more for drizzling over dish before it bakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef (omit to make this a vegan recipe)
  • 1 cup rice uncooked and rinsed
  • 1 jar tomato sauce divided
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup mint
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley and basil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Prepare the vegetables by cutting off the tops and scooping out the insides of the tomatoes with a spoon. Remove the seeds from the inside of peppers.
  • Season the potatoes with salt, pepper and oregano and toss together. Arrange the potato wedges around the vegetables.
  • In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Saute until they begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another minute or so.
  • Add the ground beef and brown it, breaking up any large pieces as it cooks.
  • Once the meat is browned, add the fresh herbs, rice, and half of the tomato sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  • Scoop the filling into the vegetables and place the vegetable tops back on top.
  • Drizzle the vegetables with more olive oil (optional) and season the outsides with salt and pepper. Add the remaining tomato sauce.
  • Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the vegetables have softened the rice filling is cooked.

Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 15gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 451mgPotassium: 943mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 4175IUVitamin C: 171mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 3mg

The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.

Keyword greek food, ground beef, rice, stuffed peppers, stuffed tomatoes
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