Stuffed Peppers

Over the last couple of years we have eaten these stuffed peppers a variety of ways.  It has taken me a little while to perfect this recipe so just know that this is the best it has been!  I tried making the filling, filling the peppers, baking and then eating – the peppers were to crunchy!  Then I tried cutting the peppers and roasting or sauteing them separately, baking the filling in a casserole dish and putting it on top of the peppers. That was better.  For this recipe, I roasted the peppers for about 25 minutes on 350 before filling.  They were prefect.  Tender but not over cooked – the perfect amount of crunch.  After filling them I popped them back in the oven for about 10 minutes to melt the cheese and warm the filling.  Everyone agreed that they were delicious.  Of course, I left the cheese off one of them for Luke – he’s still on the fence about cheese.  He will allow it on a burger, but not a sandwich.  It’s okay on pizza, but not on top of his lasagna or baked ziti.  Kids!

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Stuffed Peppers

Rice and ground beef mixture fill a tender bell pepper.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 3 bell peppers
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 - 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 cup onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup tomato sauce your favorite brand
• 1 1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cut peppers in half from the stem to the bottom.  Remove the stem, inner pith, and seeds.  Place peppers on a small baking sheet and roast them in the oven for 25 minutes.

2. Bring rice to a boil in a small sauce pan with 2 cups of water.  Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

3. In a 12 inch skillet, add the ground beef, onion, garlic, salt. and pepper.  Cook until the beef is browned and onions are tender.  Drain excess grease.

4. In a large bowl.  Combine the beef and rice mixture.  Add the tomato sauce and 1 cup of cheese.  Mix until combined.

5. Pile filling into the cooked peppers.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 10-12 minutes - until cheese is melted to your satisfaction.  Enjoy!