Stuffed Peppers

I. LOVE. STUFFED. PEPPERS. And these are the best I've ever had! They're almost foolproof to make, and they make great individual portions (which is probably the only thing that kept half of mine from being eaten by other people... they're that good!). 

- 3/4 c brown rice

- 4 bell peppers

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 onion, chopped

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- ground pepper

- 1 lb. ground chicken or turkey breast (I prefer chicken)

- 30 oz tomato sauce

- 1/3 c cream

- 1/3 c chopped basil

- 3/4 c parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Cook the rice. 

2. Slice the tops off the peppers, leaving enough on the top that you can place it easily back on the rest of the pepper. Remove the seeds and membranes. 

3. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion. Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 2 of the 3 garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. 

4. Sprinkle ground pepper on both sides of the chicken. Add to the skillet and cook until brown all the way through, 10 - 15 minutes. Stir occasionally at first, and often at the end to keep the chicken from sticking. I like it best when the chicken has a few almost-burnt spots that sweeten up the flavor. 

5. As the chicken cooks, combine the tomato sauce, cream, remaining garlic, and basil in a saucepan over low heat. 

6. When the chicken is ready, add the rice and almost all of the parmesan (reserve a bit for garnish) to the chicken mixture. Combine well. Add 1/2 c of the tomato mixture, turn off the heat, and combine well. 

7. Fill the peppers with the chicken mixture. Place the peppers in a tall baking dish that allows them to stand up. Spoon some tomato mixture over the peppers, then pour the rest in the baking dish so that the peppers are sitting in the mixture. Place the tops back on the peppers. 

8. Bake for 20 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for 30 more minutes. Serve hot.