stuffed peppers

(adapted from several recipes)

I grew up enjoying these with my parents. Steve and I used to make them all the time, but ground meat is better for these than ground turkey. Since we went the way of turkey these have been out of our rotation, but when Big Y entices us with a buy 1 get 1 deal we cannot resist.

1 lb ground meat
Rice (I used a bag of frozen Trader Joe's organic brown - but you can use any quick cooking rice like those 90 second ones)
2 8oz cans of tomato sauce
Spices to season the meat - garlic powder, salt, pepper, italian seasoning
4 bell peppers (green or red)

- Cut tops off, remove seeds and membranes of peppers
- Bring pot of water to boil, blanching each pepper in the water for about a minute
- Remove peppers to paper towel to cool, sprinkling the inside with salt to help it maintain shape
- Brown meat and drain any excess fat
- Cook quick rice
- Add rice, one can of sauce, and spices to taste (seriously add whatever you think you will taste good)
- Arrange peppers in a casserole dish and spoon meat/rice mixture into each pepper
- Top with remaining can of sauce and italian seasoning

Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes until pepper reaches desired softness.