RICE-STUFFED PEPPERS

Rice-Stuffed Peppers image

Mother used to fix this wonderful, easy dish when we had company. She was from a family of fantastic Cajun cooks, so our food was always well-seasoned. In Louisiana, rice is part of many meals. The cheese sauce sets these stuffed peppers apart from any others I've tried. -Lisa Easley, Longview, Texas

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 1h40m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3-3/4 cup water
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 cups uncooked instant rice
4 medium green peppers
CHEESE SAUCE:
1-1/2 pounds American cheese, cubed
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

Steps:

In a Dutch oven, cook beef, onion, chopped green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat until beef is no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato sauce and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. , Stir in rice; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. , Remove tops and seeds from the peppers; cut in half widthwise. Place in a large pan of boiling water; boil for 4 minutes. , Drain peppers and stuff with meat mixture. Place remaining meat mixture in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish; top with stuffed peppers, pressing down gently. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. In a saucepan, heat sauce ingredients until cheese is melted. Serve over peppers.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 662 calories, Fat 33g fat (17g saturated fat), Cholesterol 139mg cholesterol, Sodium 1964mg sodium, Carbohydrate 51g carbohydrate (12g sugars, Fiber 5g fiber), Protein 40g protein.