Stuffed Peppers

This is a dish I grew up eating. Something simple, filling and delicious. You can have them as a side or a main dish, and can use variety of filling options.

Recipe:

2T olive oil
1/2C Diced onion
1/2C Diced pepper
1/2C Diced zucchini (optional)
1lb lean ground beef or turkey or sausage
1T garlic crushed
2C tomato sauce, separated
2C prepared rice or bulgar or quinoa
1t salt
1t pepper
1t onion powder
1t garlic powder
1t Italian seasonings
1C grated Parmesan
1/2C shredded mozzarella
4-5 large peppers, with the stems removed and the insides scooped out.

In a frying pan over medium heat, saute onion, pepper and zucchini in olive oil about 3-4 minutes until softened.
Remove vegetables and set aside.
In the same pan, cook ground beef until done and drain out the fat. ( I pour the beef into a colander and strain)
Put the meat back into the pan along with the vegetables, and add garlic.
Saute 2 minutes to cook garlic, then add 1C tomato sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasonings. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove pan from heat and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, mix rice, meat mixture and cheeses.
Scoop about 1C of mixture into each pepper. Place stuffed peppers into a casserole dish that will hold them upright. Pour remaining tomato sauce over and around peppers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes until peppers are softened.