Stuffed Peppers

The garden plot has been providing us with a steady supply of bell peppers, which is good because summer just wouldn’t be complete without this meal. It’s a relatively easy family recipe, and because it keeps well, it makes for great leftovers on those September nights when you would rather be out chasing the last few hours of daylight instead of slaving away in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

6-8 bell peppers, the more colorful the better

1 pound of ground beef

1 pound of ground hot sausage

Small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, chopped

12 oz. can of tomato paste

12 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, not drained

2 cups Minute Rice

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Set the oven at 350 degrees
• Core, seed and boil peppers until tender
• Drain the peppers and position them upright in a greased baking dish
• Brown the ground beef, ground hot sausage, diced onion, diced garlic clove, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a pan together
• Once the mixture is nearly cooked, add the can of tomato paste and chopped tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil
• Add the minute rice directly to the mixture and cover, stirring occasionally until cooked
• Stuff the peppers with the meat and rice mixture, and top with shredded mozzarella cheese
• Optional: Pour tomato sauce over the peppers before adding cheese
• Bake for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, or until cheese begins to bubble and brown
• Serve with a side of garlic toast and enjoy!