Italian Style Stuffed Bell Peppers

CookingLaura's Note:

Stuffed bell peppers sounded good but I'd never made them before. This is what I came up with after asking my grandma the basics. I thought they were delicious!! They really hit the spot. I used ground pork, but obviously you could use beef, chicken, turkey etc.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 -5 green bell peppers
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 medium white onion , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , chopped
• 1 cup instant brown rice
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups spinach
• italian seasoning
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup skim milk
• ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the onion and garlic in a hot, oiled pan until onions are translucent.
3. season the pork with salt pepper and italian seasoning (I also added red pepper flakes.) Add this to the pan with the onions and cook until done, breaking into smaller pieces.
4. Meanwhile, Heat the cup of water in a pan to boiling, add the rice and cook til done. Chop the spinach and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
5. When rice is cooked, add to the spinach and let the heat wilt it some. Add the pork mixture to the bowl and stir.
6. Mix in the parmesan cheese, reserving some for a topping. then add the milk and breadcrumbs and stir together completely.
7. Cut the peppers in half and remove the insides, boil them in water for 5 minutes then remove and place on baking pan.
8. Fill the peppers with filling and top with parmesan cheese.
9. bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes or until browned on top.
10. Enjoy!