Homemade Roasted Red Bell Peppers

I have never had the desire to roast my own red bell peppers.  I mean, why would I?  They sell them in a jar, all ready to go for me, right? 

Well let me tell you...I'm never buying the jarred roasted red bell peppers again.

From the pictures I'm about to show you, this looks long and complicated.  But I promise IT ISN'T.

Step 1 - You have a few choices:

a. Broil them in the oven - Turn the broiler on high.  Put the bell peppers on a cookie sheet on the top rack of the oven.  They are done when the skin is black (like a burned campfire marshmallow). Turn them with grill tongs so each side cooks evenly - each side only needs 2-3 minutes to cook. 

b. Grill them - Put the bell peppers directly on the grill, turning every 2-3 minutes until the skin is blackened. 

c. Cook them on a gas stove top - Same concept as the grill, except you can cook them right on the stove without a pan.  Turn on the fan...the house will smell like a campfire!

Step 2:

Remove the peppers from the heat and place them in a bowl, then cover with a towel until cool enough to handle.  (the towel helps the peppers steam themselves to finish cooking)  It should take about 3-5 minutes for them to cool enough that you don't burn your fingers. (I didn't take a picture of this step.  Use your imagination and picture a bowl with a towel over it, 'kay?)

Step 3:

Peel the skin off.  Just use your fingers...it should come right off.  DO NOT run the peppers under water, or the carmelization that occurred during the roasted process will be washed away.

Step 4:
Cut out the core and remove the seeds.  The peppers are ready to slice and use!


Up next...my new hummus recipe.  I used the roasted red bell peppers and WOW it was so good!!!  I seriously feel like such a rock star for making my own hummus...I'm going to save myself a fortune with this new skill...