Easy Unstuffed Pepper Casserole
This recipe is super versatile for the peak of pepper season. No need to have nicely shaped peppers or even peppers of the same size! You can use whatever ground meat you have, fresh or canned tomatoes, white or brown rice, and top it with whatever cheese you have.
INGREDIENTS
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Ground meat or sausage of choice
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
14 oz can chopped tomatoes OR 1.5 to 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes. Blanch and peel the tomatoes before chopping.
2 -3 bell peppers, or a bag of lunchbox peppers.
1/2 cup uncooked rice of choice
Shredded cheese of choice
Other Ingredients
8oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tsp seasoning of choice ( I used Italian seasoning)
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat in a skillet. Add onion and garlic. Sauté till onion is cooked. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine meat mixture with everything except cheese. Pour into casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1.5 hours. Check for doneness of rice. I had to add 10 minutes to my cooking time. Top with cheese and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. If you want the cheese to brown, place under the broiler for a few minutes.
I am already thinking of a few variations: Mexican with chorizo, taco seasoning, and black beans topped with cheddar and served with lime, cliantro, and avocado slices, or Greek with dill and olives, crumbled feta on top to serve.