Classic Midwestern Stuffed Peppers

16.0 oz 80/20 ground beef chuck
1.0 can (6 oz) Tomato Paste
1.0 cup Tomato Sauce
3.0 cup White Rice, short grain, cooked
0.5 cup pieces Mushrooms, fresh
0.5 cup Bell peppers (Green, Red, Yellow, Orange)
1.0 cup, chopped Onions, raw
0.5 tsp Italian seasoning dry
1.0 dash Pepper, black
0.01 tsp Pepper, red or cayenne
3.0 tsp Garlic
4.0 large (2-1/4 per lb, approx 3-3/4" long, 3" dia) Sweet peppers (bell)
5.0 medium (approx 2-3/4" long, 2-1/2" dia) Sweet peppers (bell)
9.0 serving Provolone cheese, sliced, Great Value Brand

Cut tops, remove stems & innards of 6 assorted bell peppers ( or any colors or combos. This was calculated as 9 could be 8 or 10; for 6 will have extra sauce or tom & rice mixture.) Parboil bells 3-5 mins; blanch & set aside to drain. Reserve water. Brown meat, diced onion & mushrooms. Also add diced peppers from cut tops. Season w/ dry herbs & minced garlic in water (or use 3 cloves) stirring frequently. Add tomato sauce & paste w/ some of reserved water, maybe 1-1/2 cups? Rinse cans. Continue to simmer 10-15 mins, stirring often. (Set aside 2 cups sauce for later use as goulash if desired or if using it all, mix all 3 C rice.) Add 2 cups rice to remaining sauce in the pot. Cover & turn off heat. Stand bells in a 2qt 12x8 pyrex dish & stuff thru open tops that were removed. Fill nearly to top. Can be refridgerated now if break is needed or prepped in advance. Top each one w/ slice of cheese (or use shredded, any white cheese) or sub vegan if desired or skip cheese & save 70 calories. Heat in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. If casserole dish was in fridge, leave out to revert to room temp so you don't crack it going into a hot oven. No need to preheat oven; we aren't baking pastries here. Once cooked thru, remove from oven & serve. Leftovers can be refridgerated in containers suitable for reheating in microwave or freezer. If the latter, they will get softer once frozen & thawed.

Serving Size: 1 bell pepper each (stuffing for 9, or 6 + extra sauce for goulash another day.

Number of Servings: 9.0

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user KOALA_BEAR.