Twisted Inside-Out Stuffed Peppers

I seem to be on an inside-out quest these days, with inside-out cabbage rolls and now this delicious inside-out stuffed pepper dish. Since I only had 2 good-sized peppers - a yellow and an orange pepper -  on  hand but wanted to make an economical, diet-friendly dish that would last several meals, this just seemed to make sense. The flavors of the ingredients were simmered to delectable perfection and the dish turned out delicious. I do love 'one pan dinners!' So here is my secret to the "perfect," easier to prepare 

[Yes, these are the left-overs since we devoured dinner before I could take photos - oops]

Twisted Inside-Out Stuffed Peppers.

                                            

 Ingredients

• One lb lean ground beef - 80% lean or so
• 3/4 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 yellow and one orange bell pepper (or green or red), coarsely chopped
• Combined 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic salt, pinch of pepper and dash of salt
• 1 24-oz jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 c. cooked white or brown rice 
• 1 c combo of sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese (or whatever you have at home)

Preparation

1. Cook rice as directed on package. Remove from heat and cover.
2. Place 1 tbsp oil into large skillet or saucepan. Add ground beef, onion and seasoning. Cook over med-high heat, stirring often, until ground beef is brown - about 10 minutes. Add peppers to the mixture and stir for another 10 minutes or so, until the beef is crumbly and onions are translucent. With lean beef you shouldn't have to drain off any fat.
3. Pour jar of sauce over the top, place water in jar and swirl, pouring into pan to use up the last of the sauce in the jar. Stir, then reduce heat to let mixture simmer after  it reaches a gentle boil. Simmer, stirring often, for approximately 10 minutes to blend flavors and heat sauce.
4. Add rice and stir thoroughly, simmering for an additional 5 minutes until thoroughly heated and all ingredients are combined.
5. Grate cheese and sprinkle on top while the mixture is simmering, then turn off heat. The cheese will melt into gooey deliciousness on top.
6. Let sit five minutes, then serve in bowls or plates with sides. Refrigerate left-overs as soon as slightly cooled.
7. This will serve 6-8 hungry people and may be accompanied with a green salad, breadsticks or rolls if desired.

This is what it looks like when hungry critters smell the concoction cooking :) I won't post a photo of what we looked like it eating it. It might be embarrassing.