Hearty, healthy & happy. Stuffed peppers are a perfect go to for a filling, non-guilty meal and are great to make for a crowd! This version is filled with veggies, herbs and loads of flavor.

Recipe author: The Culinary Nest

MAKES

8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

4 large red peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 cup white rice, cooked

3 carrots, finely diced

1 white onion, finely diced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon, dried basil

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Prepare a shallow casserole dish large enough to fit the pepper halves (use two if necessary), spray with cooking spray, and place the halved peppers cavity side up evenly in the dishes. Roast for 10 minutes, and remove from the oven, set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F and leave on.

• In a large sauté pan add the ground beef, pork, onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté until meat is cooked through and the carrots are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Bring the heat to a simmer and add the rice, 2 cans of tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and dried herbs and stir to combine. Simmer for another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

• In a small bowl, mix together the last can of tomato sauce with the brown sugar. Set aside.

• Divide the filling evenly into each of the halved peppers (i make mine nice and full!). Next, take the tomato sauce mixture and spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce on top of each stuffed pepper.

• Bake the peppers for another 20-25 minutes or so on 350˚F. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional dried parsley if desired!