Healthier Stuffed Peppers

I love stuffed peppers! Unfortunately for me, David is not a pepper fan, so I don't make them as often as I'd like. There is something so satisfying about digging your fork into the middle of a steaming pepper and pulling out this rich and comforting combination. Mmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Serves 6

6 medium/large bell peppers, seeded

1 lb ground turkey/venison/beef

1/2 onion, chopped

8 oz tomato sauce

1 T minced garlic

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 T Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 C cooked rice

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cut tops off the peppers and remove cores. Trim the stems from the tops and discard. Chop the remaining part of the tops; set aside. 

Arrange pepper shells in a steamer over boiling water, cover, and steam 5-10 minutes, until tender. Drain shells and set aside.

In large skillet, combine turkey, onion, and reserved chopped pepper. Cook over medium heat until turkey is cooked- approximately 7-8 minutes. Drain off any excess grease. 

Add the tomato sauce, garlic, basil, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. 

Mix in the rice (use less rice for smaller peppers and more rice for bigger peppers or leftover filling).

Spoon mixture into the pepper shells; then place the peppers upright in a baking dish. Bake 10-15 minutes, until peppers are thoroughly heated. 

Serve and enjoy!

If desired, add mozzarella cheese or an additional 8oz of tomato sauce on top of the peppers before baking.

This post was originally published on 5/30/12 @ oneincomefamilyliving.blogspot.com. I revised it and transferred it here.