Beef and Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

Put bell peppers at the center of dinner with a filling of beef, rice, Parmesan, and parsley. They bake in tomato sauce, giving you a main dish and a sauce to spoon over each serving.

Ingredients

• 6 bell peppers

• 3 cups chunky tomato sauce, divided

• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup beef broth

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice

• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon for serving

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut about 1/2 inch off each pepper's top and reserve the tops after removing the stems. Remove the cores and seeds. Trim the bottoms just enough for the peppers to stand, then make four small drainage holes in each bottom.

2. Mix 2 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce with the sliced onion, broth, and red pepper flakes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Stand the peppers in the sauce.

3. In a bowl, combine the uncooked beef, cooked rice, cheese, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1/4 cup parsley, garlic, salt, and black pepper.

4. Fill each pepper loosely with the beef mixture. Spoon 1 tablespoon tomato sauce over each filling and replace the pepper tops.

5. Lay parchment paper loosely over the peppers, then seal the dish with foil. Set the dish on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour.

6. Remove the foil and parchment. Bake for another 20–30 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the meat is fully cooked. Divide the remaining parsley among the peppers and spoon some cooking sauce over each serving.

Recipe source: John Mitzewich (Chef John) / Allrecipes.