Stuffed Sweet Peppers

These are a HUGE favorite in my house!!!  Very filling and super yummy!

Ingredients:

4 Large Sweet Bell Peppers (I like red, yellow and orange, but use what you like).  Look for a wide bottom, so they sit well in baking dish.

1 Diced Onion (med-lrg)

Minced Garlic (heaping tbsp, can you tell we like garlic!)

Olive Oil (2 tbsp)

1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1/2 Pkg. Gardein “Beef” Crumbles (Optional) (You can absolutely do all VEGGIES)

1 Cup (cooked) Quinoa or Brown & Wild Rice (or whatever grain you like)

1 Cup Mixed Vegetables (I use a frozen organic mix )

Shredded Mozzarella  Cheese(lots of plant based choices, we use Chao by Field Roast, or Daiya)

Instructions:

Set oven on 350 F.  Make your rice or choice of grain and set aside.

In a large skillet pan on medium/high heat (get one big enough to contain all of the ingredients listed above, I use a deep skillet at least 10″) heat olive oil, add onion and minced garlic.  Saute until onion begins to soften and you smell the onion and garlic aroma, then add the crumbles, cook thoroughly.  Once beef crumbles are cooked, add can of fire roasted tomatoes and mixed veggies and saute.  Once everything is mixed well and simmering, add the rice or grain.

While beef/veggie mixed is simmering, par-boil bell peppers.  Cut tops of peppers, take as little as possible so that you have a nice size pepper left to stuff!  I do not personally put the tops back on when I bake but you certainly can.  Remove all the seeds from inside the pepper.   Fill a large pot (I use my large pasta pot) with water and bring to a boil.  Use tongs and place the peppers in the pot for 5-7 mins.

Remove peppers CAREFULLY from boiling water, again I use my tongs.  I have a nice 9×9 casserole dish I like to use, the one in picture, my peppers fit perfect and it helps them to stay upright.   Fill each pepper to the top, I fill about half way and tamp it down to get them really nice and filled, and then fill to the top, tamp down again, and add just a little more, nice little dome.  I then, sprinkle the tops with the shredded mozzarella cheese, or whatever cheese you like.  Add the tops back if you’re putting them back on and then loosely cover with aluminum foil.

Put in oven for 30 mins.  Before I take out of oven I put oven on broil to finish the melting of cheese and get a nice brown on the cheese.

Enjoy!!!