This is what’s for dinner tonight, so I thought I would share!  Via growing our own garden, we have been using bell peppers for just about everything, but until today we haven’t done any stuffed peppers!  I have been thinking…I really like bell peppers and pico de gallo in scrambled egg whites and egg white omelets.  I’m wondering how it would do to make a breakfast stuffed pepper: eggs/egg whites, sliced turkey, cheese, salsa.  Think that would be good?

*Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers allegedly work better because they’re sweeter and less bitter.  Good thing I have plenty of those!

**Shopping tip:  If you have an ALDI anywhere around you, you can purchase the three-color pepper pack for much, MUCH cheaper than the other stores.  They look better, too.

You Will Need:

• Six whole bell peppers (red, yellow or orange preferred)
• One pound lean ground beef
• 1C. brown rice
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can chicken stock
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in skillet on medium-temperature.
3. In the meantime, cook the rice with half the amount of liquid (using chicken stock rather than water will add flavor) and half the time as noted on the box directions. Once the rice mixture is transferred to the peppers, the liquid in the peppers will cook the rice the remainder of the way in the over. Be careful not to over cook the rice before filling the peppers as it will get soggy.
4. Add the can of tomatoes, liquid and all, into the skillet with the ground beef.
5. Once the rice is done, add that too to the skillet along with the minced garlic and salt and pepper.
6. Combine all ingredients well.
7. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove all the seeds from inside.
8. Take your meat and rice mixture and fill the peppers to the top. If there’s any extra stock from the rice, add it to each individual pepper. After the peppers are full, put the tops back on.
9. Cover the entire baking dish with aluminum foil and throw the dish into the over for 50 minutes.
10. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

When you take the peppers out of the over the aromas are unbelievable. Make sure the peppers are tender, but not falling apart. Serving these stuffed bell peppers with some freshly grated parmesan cheese is always a hit.

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