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1
Preheat the oven to 375u00b0F.
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2
Slice the tops from the bell peppers and remove the internal seeds and membranes. Arrange the peppers open side up in a glass casserole dish.
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3
Pro tip: If bell peppers cannot stand up on their own, slice them in half vertically so that the halves can lay on their sides.
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4
Set an extra-large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the ground beef, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Cook the beef for 5-6 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula, until thoroughly browned.
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5
Drain the fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove and turn down the heat to medium-low. Pour marinara sauce over the meat and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes. While the sauce simmers, prepare the cheese mixture.
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6
Place the ricotta, Parmesan, remaining salt, remaining black pepper, garlic powder and the shredded mozzarella cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula to thoroughly combine.
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7
Remove the meat sauce from the heat. Spoon half of the meat sauce evenly between each bell pepper. Layer with a even amount of the ricotta mixture. Divide the remaining meat sauce evenly over the ricotta. Top each pepper with a generous tablespoon of the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese.
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8
Carefully pour enough water into the casserole dish to rise 1/2-inch up the sides of the peppers.
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9
Pro tip: Use chicken broth instead of water for a more savory spin on these stuffed peppers.
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10
Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Lay the foil sprayed side down over the peppers and secure around the edges of the casserole dish.
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11
Bake the stuffed peppers for 50 minutes on the middle rack of oven, until the peppers can be easily pierced with a fork.
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12
Remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes longer, until the cheese on top is golden-brown.
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13
Check to see that stuffed peppers are done. Internal temperature should read 160u00b0F using a meat thermometer. Remove from oven or add time as needed.
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14
Allow the peppers to rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
