Stuffed Peppers & Pancakes

We are so tired of eating chicken and we had just grilled out steaks so with Corey's suggestion I decided to cook Stuffed Peppers last night. I forgot to take a picture - probably because I after cooking them I wanted pancakes! They were pretty good. Next time I would cut them in half after they are finished cooking, and put more sauce and cheese on top of them. It was ALOT of work just for a stuffed pepper. It ended with a SINK FULL of dishes, but it is cheap and something different. If you have any tasty recipes please send them to me! I always change/add things to recipes (for example I only cooked 2 but I made all of the sauce and it really needed more) but here is the recipe if you dare

Ingredients

· 6 green bell peppers
· 1 tablespoons butter
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1/2 cup chopped onion
· 1/2 cup chopped celery (did not use)
· 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
· 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
· 1 clove garlic, crushed
· 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano (did not use)
· 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil (did not use)
· 2 teaspoons salt, divided
· 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
· 1 egg, lightly beaten
· 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
· 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or chuck
· 1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice
· shredded mild Cheddar cheese, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, optional

Preparation:

Directions for stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds and membranes. Chop edible part of tops and set aside. Rinse peppers under cold water. Place peppers in a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain peppers and set aside.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté chopped green pepper (from tops), chopped onion, and chopped celery for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, crushed garlic, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently stir to blend; add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture. Mix well. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in a 3-quart baking dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes. If desired, top stuffed peppers with a little shredded Cheddar cheese just before peppers are done; bake until cheese is melted.Recipe for stuffed peppers serves 6.