You need:
8 Peppers - cleaned and tops removed (you can use "colored" peppers but green ones work best)
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup white rice (not minute rice)
1 large onion
salt, pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 can tomato paste
2 large cans crushed tomato (24 oz each)
Shredded cheese (if desired)
Prepare:
Cut the tops off the peppers and dice the usable parts of the tops. Combine these small diced peppers with ground beef in a large bowl. Add seasonings, onion, rice and tomato paste and blend together until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Stuff peppers with meat mixture - packing full (remember the mixture will shrink as the hamburg cooks) and place in baking dish or crock pot.
Cover with crushed tomato (add additional Italian seasoning and garlic if desired) making sure to spread evenly over peppers.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired. Return to oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly and just slightly browned, usually about 10 minutes.
Crock Pot Cooking
Place your prepared peppers into the crock pot and follow the same directions above. Set the crock pot on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours (depending on size of pot).
Serve with rice, pasta or bread as desired.
Freeze leftovers and heat in microwave on low heat for approximately 7-10 minutes (from frozen state) to serve a 2nd time.
Makes 8 stuffed peppers.
This is one of the easiest recipes that you will use for stuffed peppers. What is even better about this that you can make them ahead of time, freeze them and you can then reheat them later. Your entire family will love this recipe. The crock pot version is great in the summer since you do not have to heat up the entire kitchen for a meal. You may also substitute ground turkey, chicken or other meat alternative for ground beef.
Image credit: I, Badseed [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
