The Stuffed Bell Pepper

One of the  meals that was on the table a lot growing up was Stuffed Bell peppers. I can remember for the longest time I only ate the inside mixture, not the bell pepper. Now, the pepper is my favorite part. I love the sweetness of a bell pepper. yum. This recipe is so easy and tasty! This is basically my mom's recipe with just a little twist. I made this last night with the Olive Cheese Bread, but a fresh salad is good along side of it. And as always, you can change this up or tweak it to your liking!

Ingredients: 6 green bell peppers, salt to taste, 1 lb ground beef, 1/3 cup chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste, 1 14.5 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes  (Italian style) chopped, 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup uncooked rice, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese and more for sprinkling on top, 1 can condensed tomato soup, water as needed

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cut off the tops of the bell peppers. Remove the seed and membranes and boil for only about 5 minutes. Drain and sprinkle salt on the inside and set aside

3. In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.


 4.  Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. Sprinkle the top of each pepper with a little bit more cheese. Please.  In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour a little over the top of the peppers, but mostly all in the bottom of the pan.

5. Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!

FF (fun facts) Several times now, in my almost 30 years, I have tried to talk to my mom on the phone...when really I was just listening to her voicemail. It's like I just check out, or maybe, get to enthralled in her (very lengthy, entertaining) message. I did it today again. LOL...In the middle of her message I just started "talking" to her and when she didn't stop to acknowledge my comments I suddenly remembered that it was a voicemail. I was laughing so hard I had tears rolling down my face... I probably should not be sharing this with you, especially all you blonde joke tellers, but it was so ridiculous I had to.

xo