Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup rice (uncooked)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 3 bouillon cubes
- 3 bell peppers (sliced - red, green or combination - plus 2 tablespoons olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon butter (plus 1 tablespoon olive oil)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced or mashed)
- 2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or combination of pork and beef)
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
Preparation
Step 1
Heat butter in frying pan. Add rice and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Put rice in a bowl and set aside. In the same frying pan, add 2 tablespoons oil and cook peppers until soft. Place in a bowl and set aside. In same frying pan, add butter and olive oil. Sauté onions, garlic and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef, cook until done. Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper and optional red pepper flakes. Simmer on low.
Meanwhile, spoon rice into a 9 x 13 greased casserole dish. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over rice. Arrange peppers on top of rice. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
Remove casserole from oven and spoon beef mixture over peppers. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove casserole from oven. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes, uncovered.