stuffed peppers... the lazy way

How many of you out there, like I, love love love stuffed peppers? Every once in a while, I have a craving for those yummy peppers bursting with meaty goodness. I often try to ignore these cravings because I simply don't have the time to make them. I needed to think of an easy-to-make alternative so that when that sudden urge approaches and I am short on time, I could still get my fix. I played around with a few simplified options to make this dish, and this one seems to work best. The feedback has been positive as everyone tells me it tastes just like the original, more time-consuming, recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (750g) extra-lean ground beef
• 1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups of Minute Rice long-grain white rice
• 2 cans (680 ml) tomato sauce (I prefer Hunt's Tomato Sauce, but you can use whatever brand you prefer or have on hand)
• 1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese grated and divided
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1/2 Tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 Tsp. Italian seasoning

Preparation

• Use a large skillet on medium heat to cook meat, garlic, and onions.
• Drain excess liquid.
• Add red and green peppers. Cook until peppers are tender.
• Stir in salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and tomato sauce, bring to a boil.
• Once sauce has come to a boil, add in Minute Rice, and stir. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese.
• Let stand for 5 minutes, transfer to a casserole dish and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
• Serve hot.

Cook meat, garlic and onions. Drain and add peppers.

Once tomato sauce has come to a boil, add in rice.

The finished product. Serve hot. A garden salad is the perfect side for this dish.