Stuffed Peppers

Thank you, Lea, for the info/tips that helped me come up with one of my best meals in a while (the neighbors loved it!)

· 5 bell peppers

· ½ cup uncooked basmati rice

· 1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano

· ½ chopped onion

· 3 jennie-o hot Italian turkey sausage links

· Shredded cheddar cheese (about a handful)

· Minced garlic

· Cook the rice as directed and set aside. (I undercook mine just a little since it will cook more in the sauce)

· Remove the casings from the sausages (you can use any kind of sausage/ground meat you want, I just used the turkey because that’s what I had on hand) and cook them in a large skillet with the onions and garlic and a little bit of olive oil

· After the meat is done, drain any excess fat and combine the rice and tomatoes (I puree about half the can in a blender to get a sauce). Bring to a low boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. When it’s almost done cooking, add the cheese and whatever spices you like. Set aside

· Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add some salt and immerse the peppers for about 5 minutes. Remove and drain any water and let cool.

· Once the peppers are cooled a little, fill each pepper with the mix and top with some more shredded cheese if desired. Place in a casserole dish (you can add some extra tomatoes/sauce to the bottom) and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes or until heated through. I put foil over the top for a little longer then half the time and then remove it.