Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers

By Susan52

Ingredients

• 8 bell peppers, cleaned and seeds removed
• 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1/4 cup finely minced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno, optional
• 1 cup diced tomatoes in juice,
• 1/2 cup V-8 juice
• 1 tbs fresh mint or basil, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 about 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon peel

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F

Brown the ground beef in a skillet with the onion and jalapeno (if using)

Drain well, blotting away excess fat

Add cooked rice, beef mixture, tomatoes, mint,lemon peel, salt and pepper to a bowl

If you want the filling to be more compact you can add a beaten egg to the rice mixture before stuffing peppers

Mix well

You can stuff the peppers one of two ways, either cut them in half vertically and stuff each half or just cut the tops off and stuff the whole thing upright.

Fill the cavity of the peppers with the rice mixture, don't pack it too tight

Place the peppers upright in a baking pan, for halves place them with the filling mounded upwards

Pour 1/2 cup V-8 juice around the peppers - it should come just a little way up the sides but not cover the halves

Cover pan with foil

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes
13.Let cool slightly before serving

For Crockpot

Use the whole peppers stuffed. Place in the crockpot upright and pour 1/4 cup of V-8 in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours.

For Top of the Stove
15.Use the halves. Place filled pepper halves in a large pan and add V-8 to cover the bottom of the pan by an inch. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until done, adding more juice as needed.

Notes:

You can use condensed tomato soup in place of the tomatoes and V-8. It makes a thicker, sweeter sauce. Just add 1/2 can of tomato soup to the rice mixture before stuffing peppers and continue with directions. When the peppers are almost done mix the remaining 1/2 can soup with 1 teaspoon Worcestershire and mix well. Heat thoroughly and spoon over the peppers before serving.