Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers ☺

They took hours to bake… such a special treat! She left her recipe with me, and I was determined to make these doable as an ‘everyday’ dinner option. . . by precooking the ingredients, as it cuts an entire hour off the bake time! Enjoy ☺ !

Ingredients:

• 6 green bell peppers, remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes.
• 1.5 pounds grass fed ground beef, or turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 6-8 stalks fresh celery, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1.5 cups pre-COOKED brown rice or quinoa (I keep pre-cooked brown rice on hand for meal prep…for this recipe it was only a matter of measuring the rice)
• 1, 25-28 oz glass jar of favorite low-sugar, all-natural marinara sauce.
• 6 Tbsp favorite cheese, optional.

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
2. In a large stock pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until tender, just 3 minutes. Remove and let dry on paper towels.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the meat, onions, celery, and seasonings. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring to break up the lumps (drain grease).
4. Add the precooked rice and marinara sauce and stir well. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
5. Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8-inch deep.
6. Stuff the bell peppers evenly with the rice mixture and place in the baking dish
7. Bake until the peppers are very tender and the filling is heated through, 20-25 minutes.
8. Sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp shredded cheese (optional) and broil for 5 additional minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com