The Grub Files: Cooking with Camissonia: Stuffed Bell Peppers with Rice, Ground Beef & Italian Sausage

Although I didn't grow up eating this dish, it elicits the warm fuzzies in me as something homey and nostalgic. The first time I had this was more than 40 years ago when dad took us to visit his family in Pennsylvania and his sister (our Aunt Shirley) made this for dinner one night. It was simple, unfussy, delicious, a crowd pleaser (especially for her kids - our six cousins - and Uncle Jim), and the epitome of comfort food. In this version, I've incorporated Italian sausage to the ground beef. Not exactly Aunt Shirley's dish, but it's one iteration that's a cinch to put together with pantry staples like jarred marinara sauce and microwaveable cooked rice. Some recipes call for multi-colored bell peppers (green, yellow, orange and red), but I like to use just green. It's a flavor thing for me, as the other colored peppers are on the sweetish-bland side.

Ingredients:

6 green bell peppers, tops sliced off and seeded with membranes removed (reserve the tops)

1 lb. ground beef (85% lean)

1 lb. mild Italian sausage (bulk, not in casings)

1 small onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (8.8 oz. pkg Uncle Ben's cooked long grain rice)

2 cups water

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

23 oz. jar of marinara sauce (divided)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar and/or Monterey jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes with a spoon; set aside. Remove the stems from the pepper tops and finely dice the remaining green parts to add to the filling.

3. Fill a large stock pot with water (enough to cover the bell peppers and bring to a boil. Add the seeded bell peppers, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 5-6 minutes until the peppers are crisp-tender. Remove the bell peppers to a paper towel-lined plated to drain and cool.

4. Heat a large pan over medium high and saute the ground beef, sausage, onion and garlic until the meats are just cooked through. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, 1/4 cup marinara sauce, cooked rice, diced pepper tops, Worcestershire sauce, 2 cups water, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1 tsp. black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.

5. Stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Turn off heat and set aside.

6. Pour 2 cups of the remaining marinara sauce onto the bottom of a casserole dish. Place the blanched peppers, evenly spaced, in the dish. Fill with the rice-meat mixture. Lade some additional marinara sauce on over the rice in each pepper.

7. Cover the casserole dish first with parchment paper, and then with aluminum foil. Bake for 35 minutes.

8. Remove the foil and parchment paper, baste peppers with additional sauce from the bottom of the casserole. Sprinkle each with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered, another 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.

Cut the tops off of each bell pepper and scoop out the seeds.

Chopped onion, garlic and the tops of the bell peppers.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the bell peppers.

Saute the ground beef, sausage, onion and garlic.

Add the canned tomatoes, bell peppers, marinara sauce, rice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, water, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. When tender, stir in 1/2 cup shredded cheese.