Mexican-Style Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• 6 medium bell peppers (green is the typical color but any color will do)
• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 3 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup salsa, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped green chilies
• 1 6oz can of tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions: Cut tops off peppers and discard; remove seeds. In a Dutch oven or large kettle, cook peppers in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside.

In a nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onion and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the rice, 1 cup salsa, chilies, tomato paste, chili powder and salt. Spoon into peppers.

Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray (or any dish you have large enough). Add 1/4 cup water to dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

***Chris and I like to use ketchup with these

Okay so confession, this isn’t the family recipe I grew up with, that one is in my recipe box in a storage shed in The States, and due to time zone differences I was not able to get ahold of the recipe through phoning my mother. However, though we are bias towards my mother’s, these are not far behind.