4-6 bell peppers use any color – green, yellow, red, orange
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb (450g) ground beef - you can also use ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, tofu, or other similar
1 medium onion chopped
1 jalapeno pepper chopped (optional, kick up the spice)
5 cloves garlic chopped
14.5 ounces fire roasted tomatoes (canned - or use diced tomatoes or tomato sauce)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or preferred cheese of choice)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cooked Tidewater Grain Carolina Gold Rice white or brown
For Garnish: Fresh chopped parsley, or red pepper flakes for a little extra heat
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425°F and bring a pot of water (enough to cover the bell peppers by about 1”) to a boil.
Wash the bell peppers, cut off the tops, and scoop out the insides. ***Chop the extra bell pepper tops to cook later with the onion - discard the stem.)
Blanch the bell peppers for 5 minutes to slightly soften. Place under running cold water to stop the cooking.
Set the softened peppers into a lightly oiled baking dish.
Heat oil in a large pan to medium heat and add the garlic. Cook 1 minute, or until you can smell the sweet garlic aroma.
Add the onions, chopped pepper tops, and jalapeno (if using). Cook for 5 minutes to soften. The onions and peppers will start to become translucent.
Add the ground beef and cook 5-6 minutes, breaking apart as you go. Once cooked through, add the seasonings and stir thoroughly. (Let the meat soak up the spices)
Add the, sauce, and stir in thoroughly.
Begin cooking your Carolina Gold Rice. Cooking times are provided on the back of your packaging: 2 Cups of Water to 1 Cup of rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add your cooked rice and half cup of shredded cheese to the pan and continue to blend in with meat, peppers and seasoning until meat is “browned”
Stuff each pepper with the meat filling mixture then top each with shredded cheese.
Roast the stuffed peppers for 15-20 minutes, at 425 degrees or until the peppers are tender to your preference, and the cheese is bubbly and crisp..
