Mom's Famous Stuffed Peppers

My mom is one of the best cooks I know and she was kind enough to show me how to make her famous stuffed bell peppers.

If you are strapped for time, you can prep 90% of this recipe the night before your dinner party– with that being said, the prep isn’t that bad!

Mom’s Famous Stuffed Bell Peppers Ingredients: 6 large red or green bell peppers 2 1⁄2 cups long-grain white rice 2 lbs lean ground beef 1 medium sweet onion, diced 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon chicken seasoning (we use Vegeta) 1 egg 2 1⁄2 cups tomato juice 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon salt 6 bay leaves 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Directions: 1. Pre-heat oven to 400’F. Cut the bell peppers in half, top to bottom, or through the transverse of the pepper (up to you). Remove the seeds and the segments. 2. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, rice, onion, seasoning, and egg. Mix until it comes together. Generously fill the peppers with the ground beef filling. 3. Grease your casserole dish or pan with vegetable oil, and snugly place peppers in the dish. Carefully pour tomato juice into the dish to fill 3⁄4 of the way (approx 2 1⁄2 cups). Season to taste, add bay leaves and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. 4. Remove the foil and using a ladle, carefully drain the tomato juice into a saucepan. Generously top each pepper with cheese and return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and bake for about 7-10 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to bubble. 5. While the peppers are baking make the tomato sauce: heat the tomato juice over medium-high heat. Add all-purpose flour and whisk until combined. Once the sauce begins to thicken, remove from heat. Season to taste. I add a few fresh leaves of basil. Spoon sauce over peppers and serve.