Air Fryer Bread Bowls Turn Leftover Stuffed Pepper Stew Into Dinner

Using Up Leftovers

Today is Day 2 of Poor Girl’s mini staycation. I’m focusing on things from my garden and using up leftovers and remains of ingredients long forgotten. Two days ago I made a deconstructed stuffed pepper. I had leftovers from that along with some left over tomato basil soup that I had in my freezer.

Air Fryer Bread Bowls

To upscale leftover night a bit, I made some Italian Bread bowls in the air fryer. I used:

• 3 cups of flour
• 1.5 cups of hot water
• a couple of tbsps of sugar
• half a tbsp of salt
• a tbsp or so of yeast

I go strong on the yeast because I buy it in bags and freeze it to keep it longer. If you have envelopes, just use one, but it may take longer to proof. I mix everything but the hot water together first and add the water last. This should be hot to the touch, but not boiling. Start mixing as soon as you start pouring in the water if not before. You don’t want flour sludge.

When it’s well mixed, cover it with a cloth and leave it in a warm place until it’s doubled. That can be anywhere from half an hour to 2-3 hours depending on how much yeast you put in, how hot the water was and how warm the spot is in your kitchen.

When it’s doubled in size, take out about a third of the dough and put it on a plate or cutting board with some flour spread out on the bottom. Form into a bowl shape and place in your air fryer on a piece of parchment paper. Cook around the 375F mark for about 20 to 30 minutes. Check on it about halfway through and turn over if the bottom isn’t cooking.

Adding Toppings

If you want to add toppings, melt 2 tbsps of butter in a small saucepan or your mini Ramen cooker, add the toppings you want to put on your bread, onion, garlic, salt, basil, etc. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle on the bread about halfway through the cooking process. Alternately, you can cook them all first, then add the toppings and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes on the highest setting on the Air Fryer.

You want a dense bread with a thick crust. You can make these ahead and freeze them. They’re great reheated.

Filling and Serving

When you’re ready for dinner, open the tops of the bread bowls, add the deconstructed stuffed pepper stew with mini meatballs and top with grated mozzarella cheese. Cook in air fryer until the stew is warm and the cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. You can heat up the stew in a pot first and just cook on high for 5 minutes to brown the cheese.

Heat up the soup in the Ramen cooker while the Stuffed pepper dip sandwich is cooking in the airfryer. That’s it. You can put the soup in a bowl as well or just put the whole thing in one bowl if you like to mix flavors. Enjoy!

Buddy Love

Air Fryer Italian Bread Bowls with Stuffed Pepper Stew

Homemade bread bowls baked in the air fryer, then filled with leftover deconstructed stuffed pepper stew and mini meatballs and topped with melted mozzarella.

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups bread (flour)
• 1.5 cups hot water hot to the touch, not boiling
• 2 tbsp sugar a couple of tbsps
• 0.5 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp yeast use one envelope if not using bulk/frozen yeast; may take longer to proof
• 2 tbsp butter for optional topping
• onion, garlic, salt, basil optional toppings, to taste
• leftover deconstructed stuffed pepper stew with mini meatballs amount as available from leftovers
• mozzarella cheese, grated amount as desired for topping

Method

 

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together first.
2. Add the hot water last, stirring as soon as you start pouring (water should be hot but not boiling) to avoid a flour sludge.
3. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, which can take 30 minutes to 2-3 hours depending on yeast amount, water heat, and kitchen warmth.
4. Once doubled, take out about a third of the dough onto a floured plate or cutting board and shape into a bowl.
5. Place the shaped dough on parchment paper in the air fryer. Cook at about 375°F for 20 to 30 minutes, checking halfway through and flipping if the bottom isn’t cooking.
6. For optional toppings, melt the butter in a small saucepan or mini ramen cooker, add onion, garlic, salt, basil, etc., and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle onto the bread about halfway through its cooking time, or cook the bread fully first, then add the topping and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes on the air fryer’s highest setting.
7. Aim for a dense bread with a thick crust. The bowls can be made ahead and frozen, and reheat well.
8. Open the tops of the bread bowls, add the leftover deconstructed stuffed pepper stew with mini meatballs, and top with grated mozzarella cheese.
9. Cook in the air fryer until the stew is warm and the cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, heat the stew in a pot first, then air fry on high for 5 minutes just to brown the cheese.

Notes

The contributor used leftover deconstructed stuffed pepper stew with mini meatballs and leftover tomato basil soup, noting any leftover soup, chili, or meat can be used similarly. Soup can be heated separately in a ramen cooker and served alongside or combined in the same bowl.