wilkes

Everytime I make stuffed bell peppers, the people ask me if there is rice in them. When I say no, they say "...good, I just hate stuffed peppers with rice. See what you think.)

6
green bell peppers

1
lb ground beef

1/2
cup onions, chopped

1
tablespoon garlic, minced

1
egg, whisked

1/2
cup breadcrumbs

1
tablespoon parmesan cheese (an extra tbsp is good.)

1
teaspoon salt

1
teaspoon ground pepper

1
teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) ( I use 1 tbsp Texas Pete rather than red pepper flakes.)

1/2
teaspoon oregano (or crushed, dried rosemary--or both.)

1/4

teaspoon basil (dried) or 2 good sprigs fresh basil to equal 4 packed tsps, finely minced.)

Quick Tomato Sauce Topping

1
cup tomato sauce

1/4
cup water

1
tablespoon brown sugar

1
tablespoon vinegar (apple cider type is best.)

1
teaspoon prepared mustard

1
teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/4
teaspoon oregano, dried (optional-or crushed rosemary.)

1/4
teaspoon basil, dried (If you have fresh, a couple sprigs, minced fine is even better.)

1/4
teaspoon garlic powder

1/4
teaspoon parsley flakes

1/4
teaspoon salt

1/4
teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Lightly spray baking pan with cooking spray.
Blanch peppers in boiling, salted, water 5 minutes. Plunge into cold water until ready to cut and seed.
Briefly, and lightly, hand mix ground beef mixture, adding all ingredients from ground beef to parsley, except tomato sauce topping.
With a tablespoon, stuff each pepper with meat mixture. Pack it tight, but not so tight that pepper will break.
Mix ingredients of tomato sauce and spices, or use any tomato sauce of your choice. (C'mon, make your own. It's better.)
Place 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce in baking pan covering bottom. (This will be a small amount of covering).
Add meat stuffed peppers to dish.
Drizzle tomato sauce over top of stuffed peppers.
Add optional 1 piece of bacon to top of each pepper. I think it makes it too greasy but original receipe called for it.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Test for doneness with meat thermometer.
When serving, dish out tomato "gravy" to top of each pepper.