Grilled Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers

These easy to make grilled meatloaf stuffed peppers are made with veal as protein. Also as a bonus, they cook quicker than traditional meatloaf. If spicy is your thing, you can stuff smaller long hots or even large jalapenos. They will cook even quicker and have a spicy kick!

Colleen Kennedy from Soufflé Bombay says, if using a smaller pepper, you may wish to first sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic in a 1/2 TBS of oil or bacon grease (yum) to start the cooking process since smaller meatloaf stuffed peppers will cook faster than larger ones.

Keep in mind, veal is low in fat, so not much fat/liquid accumulates in the pepper as it cooks; any liquid can be easily dumped out into the grill by tilting peppers just a bit.

If you have extra meatloaf mixture (since pepper sizes vary) you can always make a mini loaf on foil on the grill or cook it off as meatballs. Enjoy these freshly grilled peppers for your next weekend barbecue or a fun weeknight dinner alongside the whole family. With loads of fresh flavor, this recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

This great recipe and imagery was developed by Colleen Kennedy at Souffle Bombay . Check out all our grilling recipes here!

Prep Time:
15 minutes

Cook Time:
30 minutes

Total Time:
45 minutes

Serves:
4

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground veal
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
1/3 cup onions (I like using Vidalia)
1 clove minced garlic (or garlic paste)
1 whole jalapeno (if you do not enjoy a little heat, remove the seeds and stems before you chop)
Additional raw pepper (that you cut off the peppers before stuffing -optional)
1/2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large poblano peppers 4-5 peppers, can also use any type pepper preferred in place of poblano peppers

Instructions

Combine ground veal, breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, jalapeno, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Slice the poblano peppers open, enough to allow the meatloaf mixture to be placed inside.
Carefully remove the seeds and membrane with a paring knife or small spoon.
TIP: find how each pepper “stands-up” best to determine which side to slice open so each pepper will stand best on the grill and on the plate.
Chop the parts of the peppers you cut off and add them to your meatloaf mixture (you may not use all of it, depends on how much you have and your taste for peppers)
Using your clean hands, gently mix the meatloaf mixture until combined.
Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
TIP: You can always quickly cook off a small “meatball” in a sauté pan to taste your mixture and adjust seasoning or ingredients according to taste.
Stuff peppers with the meatloaf mixture. Stuff them full, allowing a mound of the mixture to rise up from the opening. (the meat will shrink some as it cooks).
Heat grill to high, and when ready to grill, place peppers directly onto the grates over direct heat and cook for 6-8 minutes. Then carefully move your peppers to indirect heat (turn the burner(s) off directly below them or move them to your upper grate) and continue cooking until done, approximately an additional 15-20 minutes.
Cook time depends on size of the pepper and the amount of meatloaf mixture in each pepper. I typically pull them when the internal temperature reaches 155 via digital thermometer, the internal temperature continues to rice after they are removed, hitting the recommended 160 degrees.
*If choosing to top with shredded cheese (a blend of cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese is nice) do so a few minutes before the peppers are done to allow the cheese to melt. If brushing with barbecue sauce, do so a few times during the cooking process.