Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed bell peppers are comfort food; plain and simple.  Nothing gourmet about them. 


This is my variation on a recipe from the old Betty Crocker cookbook that I was given for my birthday wayyyy.... back when I was in high school.  Betty Crocker's was only cookbook my mother ever owned while we were growning up.  And while I own hundreds of cookbooks now (once my wooden bookcase which housed them collapsed because they were so heavy) this particular recipe remains a favorite with my family.  They can smell this dish baking and the peppers get soft and sweet, the tomato sauce is tangy, and the cheese gets all ooey-gooey and melty.  They're not fancy, but served with a crusty loaf of bread or a simple green salad they are just the ticket on a cool fall evening.  I discard the stem of the peppers and chop the tops and put them in the freezer for other uses but you could bake the tops and set them on top of the cheese for a pretty presentation. 

The smell of these baking will have your family asking over and over again, "When do we eat?"
*They are a great make-ahead or freezer recipe too. I keep a pan there for dinner emergencies.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 large green peppers, cleaned with the tops cut off and membrane and seeds removed

1 pound of ground beef

¼ cup of chopped yellow onion

½ teaspoon of kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon of garlic salt

1 cup of steamed rice, brown or white

15 ounces of tomato sauce

¾ cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Slightly cook the peppers by steaming or microwaving for 5 minutes (for either method). Set aside.

Brown the onions and ground beef until the beef is cooked through. Drain the fat and put the mixture in a large bowl. Stir in the rice, ¼ cup of grated cheese, salts, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Stir to mix. Heat the mixture either in the microwave or in the pan you used to brown the beef.

Stuff each pepper shell with the beef mixture and stand upright in an ungreased baking dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the peppers. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top of the peppers and return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Do-Ahead Tip:

Reserve 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce and remaining cheese and pour the rest of the sauce over the stuffed peppers. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate the peppers, reserved tomato sauce and grated cheese no longer than 24 hours ahead of time (or freeze for 3 months). When ready to serve; remove from the refrigerator or freezer and put in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. and cook uncovered for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake just until the cheese is melted.