Ballot Box Bake
Based on:
TypeMain course
Serves4 people
DateOctober 5, 2026
Four stuffed peppers in a row as ballot boxes: Spain goes to the polls, neat and solemn on your plate.
A solemn main course: four stuffed bell peppers stand in a neat row like ballot boxes, each with an aubergine ‘slot’. The plate echoes the Spanish election queues—timely, sober, and instantly recognizable by shape.
Ingredients
- 4 large red bell peppers
- 600 g ground beef
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 200 g rice
- 1 can diced tomatoes (400 g)
- 1 eggplant
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 100 g grated cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Cook the rice according to package instructions and drain.
- Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds. Stand them upright.
- Finely chop the onion and garlic.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add beef and brown.
- Add paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Fry briefly.
- Add diced tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Mix the beef mixture with rice. Stuff the peppers, pressing firmly.
- Slice the eggplant into 4 long pieces, about 1 cm thick. Brush with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Place eggplant slices on a baking tray, bake 10 minutes until soft.
- Place stuffed peppers in a straight row in a baking dish. Lay an eggplant slice as a ‘slot’ over each pepper top.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake 25 minutes until cheese is melted and peppers are soft.
- Arrange the peppers in a straight line on a long plate, with the eggplant slices clearly as ballot box slots.
Serving notes
- Serve on a long platter for the effect of a ballot box queue.
- Garnish with a touch of smoked paprika for a Spanish accent.