Stove Top Stuffed Peppers

By mytastytreasures

One of our most favorite meals, adapted from rachael Ray!

Ingredients

• Quick Tomato Sauce:
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1
• tablespoon fresh
• 1 can (15oz) low salt beef broth
• 3 oz tomato paste
• 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
• 10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Handful chopped fresh parsley
• Stuffed Peppers
• 1 cup short grain rice(I have even
• used leftover chinese rice from take
• out)
• 6 medium bell peppers, red or green or
• 3 of each
• 1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mixture(ground
• beef, veal and pork)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup quick tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup frozen peas to 1 cup
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, dicedSalt and freshly ground pepper to
• taste

Preparation

Step 1

In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute garlic and crushed red pepper in olive oil for 1 to 2 minutes to begin sauce. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a bubble, reduce heat, and let simmer over low heat.

Add rice to a small pot of 2 cups of boiling salted water. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Cut tops off peppers and scoop out seeds. Cut an X in the bottom of each pepper. Place peppers in large pot of boiling salted water, cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove peppers and drain upside down on paper towels.

In a skillet over medium high heat, brown meat in olive oil. Add bell pepper and onion, cover, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. When rice is done, add to meat and stir in 1 cup of sauce, peas, mozzarella, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove filling from heat. Place the pot you emptied after cooking the peppers back on the stove over low heat. Cover the bottom of the pot with a layer of sauce. Stuff peppers with filling and place upright in sauce in pot. Top each pepper with a little extra sauce and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

I serve with mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over the potatoes.