If you ate dinner in the 70's, you're probably familiar with stuffed peppers—the affordable comfort food dish that could feed a family and then some. Serve with salad and thick slices of crusty buttered bread.
INGREDIENTS
makes six servings6 large peppers (green, red or orange)2 tablespoons butter, melted1/2 cup finely chopped onion1/2 cup finely chopped celery1 can (398 ml) tomatoes, undrained1 can (238 ml) tomato sauce2 cloves garlic, crushed & minced1 teaspoon dried basil1 teaspoon dried oregano2 1/2 teaspoons salt1/2 teaspoon pepper1 large egg1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 1/2 lb ground beef1 1/2 cups cooked rice (white is traditional, but you can use brown if you wish)
METHOD
Slice the tops off the peppers and using a small paring knife and a spoon remove the ribs and seeds, leaving the shell of the pepper intact. Rinse the peppers with cool water. Dice up the edible bits fo the tops and set aside.Place peppers in large pot with 8 cups of salted water. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the peppers and allow to cool.Heat butter over medium-high heat in a medium sized skillet. Once butter is hot but not browning, sauté chopped green pepper tops, onion and celery until tender.Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, dried spices, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.Preheat oven to 350F.In large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, remaining salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.Add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of tomato mixture. Mix well.Gently stuff peppers with meat mixture. You don't want to tear the peppers. Place in 3-quart casserole dish and pour the remaining tomato mixture over peppers.Bake, uncovered, 1 hour.
