Not-So-Stuffed Peppers

 
Know what's been missing around these parts lately? A food post.

And do you know what makes vegetables yummier? Jamming them full with meat and cheese. (Did I write the book on health or what?)

Out of boredom, I wanted to make something new-ish tonight. Out of laziness, I didn't follow any kind of recipe. Luckily, the fruits of my laziness and boredom turned out to be some tasty stuffed peppers. The only change that I would make next time is that I would increase the amount of "stuffing" and have the peppers overflowing with meaty cheesy goodness.

If you'd like to give it a go:

Ingredients:

• 4 green bell peppers
• 1 lb cooked ground beef (I seasoned mine with garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper.)
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced jalapenos (if you're feeling spicy)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 bag of instant Spanish rice (Or, you can make your own if you're feeling ambitious and not prone to forgetting about your rice.)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a skillet, over medium heat, cook the beef with chopped onion, seasoning of choice, and jalapenos until evenly browned. Drain if necessary. Also, start one large pot of boiling water.
• While the meat is cooking, perform green pepper surgery. Slice off the tops of the bell peppers and pull out the guts (seeds and membranes). Put peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes. Carefully remove. Place peppers in a baking dish, hollowed side up.
• Prepare your instant rice.
• In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup cheese. Scoop desired amount of mixture into each pepper. Top with remaining cheese.
• Bake about 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and peppers are tender.

 Enjoy!

(Oh, and handle carefully. Can you tell which pepper toppled over and had to get re-stuffed?)