Bell Pepper Houses

Prep Time:

Cook time:

Serves:

Description
Simple stuffed bell peppers.

Ingredients

 * 4 to 6 red or green bell peppers
 * 1 LB lean hamburger
 * 1/4 C olive oil
 * 1 small onion, chopped
 * 5 cloves garlic, minced
 * 4 to 5 small red potatoes, peeled & halved
 * 3 stalks of celery, cleaned & halved
 * 4 to 5 carrots, peeled & halved
 * 1 to 2 C tomato sauce
 * 1/2 C Parmesan cheese
 * Salt, pepper & parsley to taste
 * 5 slices white bread, crusts cut off

Directions
Cut tops off of peppers. Remove stem, but reserve the lids and chop finely. Remove the seeds from the peppers, and rinse insides out with cold water. Set aside. In a frying pan, add the olive oil, hamburger, chopped-up pepper lids, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Cook until meat is done and peppers and onions are tender. Drain, and then place in a large bowl. Add about 1/2 C of the tomato sauce, and mix well.

Stuff peppers with mixture, filling to just before the top of the pepper. Cut a crust-less slice of bread in quarters, and place on the top of the pepper, creating another "lid" (you may need to gently stuff the bread slice inside the edges of the pepper). Repeat with remaining peppers. Pour the tomato sauce in a large pot, and place the peppers inside so that they stand up level. Place potatoes, celery and carrots around the peppers, and add water if necessary to create more liquid. Cook covered on medium-low heat for about one hour, or until the vegetables are tender. Place peppers in a baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees, or until the tops of the bread crusts are browned and crispy. Serve with the vegetables and liquid from the pot.