Rice-Stuffed Peppers Recipe

By traciesparks

Mother used to fix this wonderful, easy dish when we had company. She was from a family of fantastic Cajun cooks, so our food was always well-seasoned. In Louisiana, rice is part of many meals. The cheese sauce sets these stuffed peppers apart from any others I've tried. —Lisa Easley, Longview, Texas

Ingredients

• CHEESE SAUCE:
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3-3/4 cup water
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 cups uncooked instant rice
• 4 medium green peppers
• 1-1/2 pounds process American cheese, cubed
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 100mins
Adapted from tasteofhome.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a Dutch oven, cook beef, onion, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat until beef is no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato sauce and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in rice; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Remove tops and seeds from the peppers; cut in half widthwise. Place in a large pan of boiling water; boil for 4 minutes.

Drain peppers and stuff with meat mixture. Place remaining meat mixture in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; top with stuffed peppers, pressing down gently. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. In a saucepan, heat sauce ingredients until cheese is melted. Serve over peppers. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 each) equals 668 calories, 32 g fat (18 g saturated fat), 110 mg cholesterol, 2,114 mg sodium, 53 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 42 g protein.

Originally published as Rice-Stuffed Peppers in Taste of Home February/March 1996, p27