The ingredients call for 1 pound of ground meat. We use 3/4 pound ground beef and 1/4 pound sweet Italian sausage. You can use anything you like, ground chicken, turkey or all beef. We found if you use more than 1/2 sausage, that’s all you can taste. You can omit it completely, but if you do, I suggest you increase the herbs and spices. Also, the quantity below will fill 4 small peppers halved (8 pieces) or 2 very large peppers halved (4 pieces). I usually make the entire amount and freeze what I don’t need today for a quick dinner another time. Recipe serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 4 Small or 2 Large peppers. Cut the long way, through the stem, with seeds and membrane removed
- 1 Pound ground meat. See notes above
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling
- 1 Onion, finely diced, about 1 cup
- 2 Cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 Cup diced red peppers
- 1/2 Cup Kitchen ready tomatoes, or 1/2 Cup seeded chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 Teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 Cup cooked white rice
- 1+ Cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese
- S & P
- 1 Tablespoon chopped chives
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped basil
- 1 Cup pasta sauce plus more parsley or chives for garnish
Directions: Preheat oven to 350ยบ F
Cook rice and reserve. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Sweat onions and chopped red peppers, medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the meat to the pan, increase heat and cook until done. Remove the pan from heat.
Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, all the herbs and spices and the rice to the cooked meat. Combine well. Stuff each pepper half with the mixture, mounding it over the top. Place in oven proof casserole dish with about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. Drizzle with a little oil then cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover, add the cheese and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes or until pepper are cooked through and cheese is browned. Top with pasta sauce and garnish to serve.
