The Unique Way Princess Diana Enjoyed Her Favorite Meal Of Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers might just be one of the most exquisite culinary creations in the history of unlikely food combinations. Humble though they seem, cramming sweet peppers with your favorite foods can make dinner time that little bit more noteworthy, or at least, Princess Diana thought so. According to Darren McGrady, the retired chef to the royal family, Princess Diana enjoyed a delicious twist on the standard beef-filled bell pepper dish. McGrady told Delish that Princess Diana enjoyed this stuffed pepper dish above any other dinnertime plate (via YouTube). Without a dull bite in sight, Princess Diana's bell pepper combination is as unique and fun to recreate as Her Highness' most loved floral tea choice.

Princess Diana's low-fat, mostly vegetarian way of eating led to tons of veggie dishes being whipped up in the royal kitchen, but Princess Diana was partial to occasional fish and meat meals. These bell peppers are an example of one of these highly flavorful, colorful, homely, and almost vegetarian meals that McGrady would prepare for Princess Diana while she lived in Kensington Palace. McGrady shed light on what made this recipe a regular royal request, explaining to Delish that "the stuffed bell peppers were filled with all the goodies that she liked." The peppers were layered with mushrooms, zucchini, onions, basil, rice, bacon, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. As if these flavors aren't already packed tightly into a pepper bursting with seasoned goodness, McGrady shares that he would add a smoked tomato sauce to tie it all together.

In his cookbook "Eating Royally," Darren McGrady lays out the recipe for these favorite stuffed bell peppers, but for those hoping to make it their own, there are a few simple twists to personalize the dinner Princess Diana loved so much. In the world of stuffed bell peppers, the first thing to know is that there are no rules. Putting a spin on the classic with barley and walnut fillings in stuffed peppers is a great way to enjoy a nuttier, meat-and-white-rice-free alternative that is wholesome and deeply comforting. If you're looking for a lighter meal (in honor of spring and summer weather), why not fill your bell peppers with your favorite salad, hummus, guacamole mix, or left-over ceviche? Ceviche in particular requires the perfect combination of juicy flavors, citrus, cilantro, and the perfect fish to tie it together. All of these flavors pair well with the roasted bell pepper, giving you a light and succulent pepper to tuck into.

While Princess Diana's favorite bell pepper recipe calls for cheese (quite a bit of it), plant-based eaters can still stay true to the recipe with a few swaps. A simple solution is to choose from the wide variety of store-bought vegan "cheese" to replace the mozzarella and grated Parmesan needed to melt in the original recipe. Otherwise, going fully homemade for a creamy vegan cheesy sauce is more simple than you think. Reach for butternut squash to make a richly colored and flavorful vegan sauce that you'll be able to lather over your Princess Diana-inspired healthy dinner classic.