Italian Style Stuffed Bell Peppers

It's the end of the month and we're playing the game of "how long can we last with the food we've got??" By this time, our array of grocery items is pretty random and bleak. We've got pasta but no sauce; lettuce but no dressing; jelly but no peanut butter. So in an attempt to use up various ingredients, I invented this little monster of a meal. I will admit, it's random. BUT it turned out pretty darn good.

Ingredients:
4-6 bell peppers
1 box of Rice-a-Roni Herb and Butter (or whatever brand, flavor you have sitting in the cupboard)
Olive oil
1 lb ground turkey or beef
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 small onion (chopped)
A handful of crimini mushrooms (chopped)
1 can diced tomatoes (other veggie options could be spinach, zucchini or squash)
Italian Seasoning aka Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Marjoram
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan Cheese


Prepping the bell peppers:
I like to blanch my bell peppers before stuffing them in case they don't cook well in the oven. To do this, fill a large pot with water and set to boil. Cut, gut and clean the bell peppers by cutting around the stem of the pepper, removing it and scraping out the insides. Sometimes I like to cut mine in half as well.
When the water is boiling, set the peppers in for about 5 minutes or until the color starts to brighten up. Don't leave them in for too long or else they will get too soft. Drain them and set them out to cool.

Stuffing:

• Cook rice according to package directions. This should take about 20-30 minutes so you can prep the rest while it is simmering. 

• Put some olive oil in a large frying pan and heat on medium. Saute the chopped onion and garlic for a few minutes then add the ground meat. Cook the meat until it is slightly browned.
• Add the can of diced tomatoes, chopped mushrooms (and other veggies if you choose) and all the seasonings. Turn the heat to low and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

• Set the oven to 350 degrees
• When the rice is finished, add it to the meat mixture and combine all the ingredients. Carefully stuff each of your bell peppers and place them in a 9x13 or larger glass baking dish. 

• Sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese and put them in the oven for 20-30 minutes. If you are worried about them getting dry in the oven, you can add a little water to the bottom of the pan. 
• And voila! Enjoy your end-of-the-month-scraping-the-bottom-of-the-pantry-italian-style-stuffed-bell-peppers.

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