I love making stuffed foods. They are so all inclusive, meaning thats all you have to serve for a meal. Along with some good crusty bread. These peppers are so easy to prepare plus the ingredients are not too expensive.
Cut off the tops of the peppers.
Then remove the seeds. Take the tops and dice into pieces. You can either use these later in the recipe or put into a baggie to use for another recipe.
Bring a large kettle of water to a boil and drop the peppers in. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Remove the peppers from the boiling water with a pair of tongs.
And drain them upside down on a paper towel.
Dice up 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 cup celery and 1/2 cup green pepper. (This is where I use the tops)
Also chop up one medium sized tomato. Set all of your chopped veggies aside.
You will need 2 cups of cooked rice. I love using this organic long grain rice. It has such a good flavor. You can use minute rice or even brown or wild rice, just so you have two cups of cooked rice.
OK now to the meat. Brown one pound of hamburger.
Add the chopped celery, onions and peppers. I had about a half cup of shredded carrots in the fridge so I dumped them in. They’re not called for but I needed to use them up. Stir this together and let it cook for a few minutes.
Now add the diced tomatoes, the cooked rice and 1/4 cup of ketchup. Salt & pepper to taste.
Stir this all together and cook for a couple minutes. Look at all those pretty colors! This makes an awesome meal in itself!
Place the peppers into a deep baking dish so they don’t tip over. This recipe makes four large peppers but I am doubling it, thus the reason for eight peppers in the dish. Fill the peppers with the meat mixture and press down.
Top off each one with an extra spoonful. The lighting here is terrible, I had lost my daylight. But you get the drift of what to do.
In a small bowl, combine an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce and one Tablespoon of sugar.
Add 1/2 tsp of dried basil leaves. Stir this together.
Spoon half the sauce over the peppers. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
Spoon remaining sauce over peppers and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake another five minutes. I made a double batch and froze the ones we didn’t eat. They are so easy to take out of the freezer and warm up. (And the carrots worked great in these)
STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS
4 large green peppers
2 cups cooked rice
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Parboil the peppers and drain on paper toweling. Brown ground beef and add the onion, celery and peppers. Let cook for about five minutes. Add the tomato, cooked rice and ketchup. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
Stuff peppers with hamburger mixture. Combine the tomato sauce, sugar and basil leaves. Spoon half of the sauce over peppers and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Spoon remaining sauce over them and top with the shredded cheese. Bake an additional five minutes.
THE LAW OF RECIPROCITY
Judge not and you will not be judged; condemn not and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:37-38
