Beef and rice stuffed bell peppers~ 2-15-11



Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 Servings
Cost per Serving: $2.02

Ingredients

• 6  medium bell peppers, tops removed and reserved, and seeds removed
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  yellow onion, diced
• 1  large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1  stalk celery, diced
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 8  ounces  lean (90 percent) ground beef
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1  teaspoon  pepper
• 1  (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1  cup  cooked brown rice
• 1  cup  grated Monterey Jack

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add peppers and pepper tops and cook until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove peppers from water and invert to drain fully.
Make filling: Warm olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add carrot, celery and garlic and continue cooking until vegetables are just softened, 4 minutes longer. Add beef, salt and pepper and cook, breaking up large chunks, until meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and rice and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in 3/4 cup cheese.
Fill peppers with meat mixture, dividing evenly. Sprinkle mixture with remaining cheese and top with pepper lid. Bake until cheese is melted and peppers are heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

240

Fat:

12g (sat 6g)

Protein:

12g

Carbohydrate:

23g

Fiber:

5g

Cholesterol:

33mg

Sodium:

688mg

All You, FEBRUARY 2008