Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice

By atallman

Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers, red, yellow, or green
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Filling and Sauce***
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup cooked long-grain rice
• shredded mild Cheddar cheese, about 1/2 cup

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 1mins

Preparation

Step 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.
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. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, crushed garlic, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently stir to blend; add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture. Mix well. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in a 3-quart baking dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers. 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.