Traditional Italian Stuffed Peppers

You might not know this, but Jay and I got married recently!

I’ve always been a big fan of Italian food, but my husband (being very Italian) frequently requests Italian meals.

So, stay tuned for even more, but first… here’s my take on the classic Stuffed Peppers.

Ingredients:

• 4 bell peppers
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 4 slices Provolone cheese
• 1 cup rice, cooked
• 16 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
• fresh basil (optional, but highly recommended)
• additional spices to taste (Italian blend, salt + pepper, etc.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees
2. Cook the rice, start heating the sauce, and sauté the onions
3. When the onions are translucent, add ground beef, garlic, and fresh basil. Cook until beef is browned.
4. Prep the peppers (cut the tops off and pull all the shit out of them)
5. Combine beef mixture, cooked rice, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, and 1 cup sauce
6. Add a layer of sauce to baking dish. Stuff peppers with mixture and add those to the dish (mixture side up).
7. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on peppers and top with a slice of provolone cheese
8. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes
9. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and starts to brown.

Serve immediately with the rest of the sauce and plenty of grated parmesan cheese.

We typically have this with a Caesar salad kit and my homemade Italian bread (recipe coming soon).