Stuffed Peppers

 Nemo's Stuffed Peppers

Bake at 350 Degrees for 40 mins if made fresh 60 mins if baking from frozen bake at 375 for 60 mins

This yields 4 peppers

4 medium to large Bell Peppers cut tops off and take seeds out. Take tops and cut around the stem (throw stem out) and use that part of the pepper and dice into small pieces and use for the stuffing (Par Boil or 6 mins) set aside.

Stuffing:

Half pound of lean ground beef

Half pound of ground Sweet Italian sausage

2 tbsps. good quality olive oil

1 medium onion diced

1 large garlic clove minced

Generous handful of fresh parsley chop

2 cups of Nemo's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (if you don't have, the most all-natural sauce you can find without preservatives)

1 1/2 cups of jasmine rice

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 cup of either fresh or shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Take the peppers and cut the tops off. Cut around the stem and throw stem away then take the remaining pepper and dice into small pieces. Parboil your peppers for approx., 6 mins. Drain and set aside in baking dish. If freezing these, place on a plate so that you can have them ready for stuffing. In a medium pan, boil your rice until cooked, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet pan brown ground beef and Sweet Italian sausage until thoroughly cooked. Drain excess fat and discard. Set aside. In the same pan, take your olive oil, onion, garlic, extra pieces or pepper from top of the pepper, and cook until fork tender. Add ground beef Italian sausage into the skillet, mix and add 1 cup of your sauce and the Jasmine rice. Mix well. Heat for about 5 mins until heated through.

Take your peppers and stuff with your meat and rice mixture. If freezing, let your stuffed peppers cool thoroughly and wrap securely in a freezer and airtight bag or container. Placing them in the freezer so they are stable until completely frozen. (When baking from frozen, place securely in a baking dish so that they don't tip over. Heat at 350 to 375 degrees for 60 mins. at the 50-minute point, pull out of the oven add your cheese mixture and bake for the remaining time. Serve with extra cup of sauce that you will heat and set aside. Add extra parm after baking if desire.

If you are not freezing and you are going to serve fresh from the oven. follow the same directions but bake at 350 for 50 to 60 mins until hot. At the 50-minute point, pull out of oven and add your cheese mixture and follow the same directions with frozen. Serve with a crusty bread if so desired or a nice, tossed salad.