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1
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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2
To prepare peppers, cut tops off and reserve.
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3
Clean inside peppers by removing seeds and ribs; place in an oven safe pan or casserole dish.
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4
Mince the pepper tops; discard the inedible stems.
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5
In a large saute pan, saute minced pepper tops and onions in a little olive oil until translucent.
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6
Add ground beef, salt, and pepper; cook until beef is brown and cooked through, stirring occasionally to break up clumps.
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7
Drain beef if necessary and add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, A-1, water, and rice; stir well to combine.
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8
Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover until rice is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid, about 20 minutes.
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9
Remove from heat and stir in all but 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
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10
Spoon mixture into the prepared peppers (extra filling can be stuffed into the spaces between the peppers).
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11
Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese on top of peppers.
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12
Place on middle rack in oven and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starts to turn bubbly and brown.
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13
Notes: If you want smaller portions, cut the peppers in half lengthwise and place them cut-side-up on a rimmed sheet pan before stuffing and baking.
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14
This filling can also be used to stuff cabbage leaves.
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15
Just fill and roll steamed cabbage leaves, then cover with tomato sauce and heat through.
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16
For a fast skillet dinner version of this recipe, dont plan to stuff the peppers.
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17
Instead, chop the whole peppers into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces and add them to the meat mixture at the same time you add the rice.
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18
When the rice is cooked, sprinkle the cheese on top, cover and heat just until the cheese melts.
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19
Serve straight from the skillet.
