This is not my recipe. I shamelessly stole it from my friend Janel. It's wonderful. Stuffed peppers are my favorite meal ever, but they take too long and make too much mess for too little reward. This casserole is the easy version and it tastes just like the real thing.
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1 jar marinara
1 lb hamburger
4 cloves fresh garlic or 2-4 T diced jarred garlic
1 onion
or bag of diced frozen onion
2-4 bell peppers
or bag of diced frozen green peppers
1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Seasonings like: salt and pepper, Italian seasonings, balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, worchestshire sauce
First, cook the rice on the stovetop.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
While the rice is cooking, cook the meat. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, and garlic. Drain meat. Add in the wet ingredients like balsamic vinegar and worchestshire sauce and jar of marinara. Add the bell pepper and onion and let it simmer for a bit on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes
Your rice should be finished by now. Dump it into the saute pan if there's room. I transfer everything to a large casserole dish. Mix together well. Top with the cheese. Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Take out and let cool for a bit.
This is seriously the best thing I've ever made. My kids love it. Even my husband loves it and he hates tomato sauce. It's delicious. I can't recommend it enough. Thank you, Janel!
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