Stuffed Bell Peppers ~ A Greeky Southwest combination!

 It is relatively quick to assemble, You can freeze the extra for another quick meal during the week when time is limited. Look at the bottom of the recipe for another Bonus meal tip! Hope you all have a blessed Sunday!

Stuffed Bell Peppers ~ A Greeky Southwest combination!

INGREDIENTS

• 9 bell peppers, any color
• 1 Tbsp (Salt to taste)
• 5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped or 1 Tsp garlic powder
• 2 lb of lean ground beef
• 2 cups of cooked rice
• 4 Roma tomatoes, Chopped fresh or canned (if using can, drain of excess liquid first)
• 1 Green tomato Chopped
• 2-3 Banana Peppers, chopped or rings
• 1 tsp of Italian seasoning 
• 1 Tsp Fresh ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
• 1/2 cup ketchup or Spaghetti Sauce (I use 4 Cheese Spaghetti Sauce)
• Dash of Tabasco sauce * Optional
• Cheese of Choice ( I used Feta and Colby Jack)
• 1 Cup dry rice cooked in 2 cups of water - cook about 15 minutes (bring to boil then turn down to lo heat for remaining time.

Directions:

1 Cut the top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brown your meat in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile cook your rice - I use 1 cup of dry rice to 2 cups of water

Add onions and tomatoes and cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes. 

Add in the Green tomatoes, banana peppers, pepper, salt, taco seasoning and Italian seasoning. Saute a few more minutes until it is all mixed well. I used my frozen green tomatoes so I used my spatula to cut it into the meat mixture. 

Add in your rice now - reserve about 1 cup (does not have to be exact) Mix well into the meat mixture and turn off heat.

Place your bell peppers into your cooking dish and fill each with the meat mixture. Make sure to leave a little space at the top to add the sauce and cheese. I used a 10*13 baking dish. 3/4 of it is filled with the banana peppers, I use the empty space in the baking dish to layer the balance of the cooked rice, with the leftover meat mixture.

Add your spaghetti sauce (homemade or bought) about 2 tbsp on each bell pepper.

Top with cheese. I used Feta on the bell peppers and Monterrey jack on the rice / meat mixture on the side.

Add about a 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 for 30- 40 minutes depending on the size of the bell peppers. You will want the internal temperature to be 150-160 Degrees F.

Bonus Meal: So now what do you do with the meat and cheese mixture on the side? We use it on our Flour tortillas with Re-fried beans and salsa for another quick meal!

This is a change that our busy weeks can handle!

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Servings -9