Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise through the stem and remove all seeds and white membranes using a spoon so the halves look like little boats ready to hold filling.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and drop pepper halves in for exactly 3 minutes to soften them, then drain and place cut side up in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add diced onion, cooking until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes so the onion sweetens.
- Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, then crumble in ground beef and cook until no pink remains, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Drain excess grease if there's more than a tablespoon, then season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning while the meat is hot so the flavors penetrate the beef.
- Stir cooked rice into the beef mixture along with diced tomatoes and half the tomato sauce, mixing everything until well combined and letting it simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add half the shredded cheese and stir until melted throughout the mixture, then taste and adjust seasoning before stuffing.
- Spoon the beef and rice mixture into each pepper half, filling them about three quarters full without packing down too hard so they have room to expand.
- Pour the remaining tomato sauce around the peppers in the bottom of the baking dish, not directly on top, then sprinkle remaining cheese generously over each stuffed pepper.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes so the peppers steam and become completely tender.
- Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly with golden spots, then let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Use a mix of red, yellow, and green peppers for the prettiest presentation since red and yellow are sweeter while green has a slightly bitter taste.