Stuffed Peppers

I remember my mom making this recipe when I was little, but it only had meat and cheese as the filling.....tastes great, but what about the veggies??? I found this recipe that is much healthier. So I love this recipe because it is so healthy and filling. I saute the veggies really well and then my 11 month old will eat it too. I personally like making these with red peppers, but they can be pricey if you are feeding your whole family so I opted for 3 green, 1 red this time. I also leave out the meat occasionally and it still tastes great.

Stuffed PeppersSouthernfood.com

INGREDIENTS: Serves 4

4 bell peppers: red, yellow or green
2 tsp salt

Filling:
2 TBS olive oil
½ C chopped onion
½ C chopped celery
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
3 TBS tomato paste
1/3 C water (I leave this out and just do not drain the tomatoes)
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp dried leaf basil
1 ½ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp ground black pepper, divided
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 C cooked long-grain rice
shredded mild cheddar cheese, about ½ C

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds and membranes. Chop edible part of tops and set aside. Rinse peppers under cold water. Place peppers in a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain peppers and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté chopped green pepper (from tops), chopped onion, and chopped celery for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, crushed garlic, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
5. Gently stir to blend; add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture. Mix well.
6. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in a 3-quart baking dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers.
7. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes. Top stuffed peppers with a little shredded Cheddar cheese just before peppers are done; bake until cheese is melted.

Photo Source: Cooking Creations