Stuffies!

A wonderful, warming fall meal of stuffed peppers. Fun to share with friends and family, this seasonal treat will be sure to fill your home with delightful smells and happy guests. Use this same recipe to stuff tomatoes, or even a large zucchini! 

First, prepare this Simple Tomato Sauce recipe. The sauce can be made many days ahead of time, only about 2 cups are needed for the stuffies. 

​Next, make the cheese filling. Mix all ingredients together by stirring with a fork. Set aside.​
Ingredients:
½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (divided)
1 Tbsp basil, parsley, or dill (dried or fresh)
Salt and pepper to taste about 1/4th Tsp each

Next, make the Rice Filling. 
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup water
2 cups chopped spinach, kale, or collards
½ cup of the prepared tomato sauce
1 Tsp oil
1 Tsp salt

Mix all the Rice Filing ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 35-40 minutes. Rice should be slightly undercooked. Remove from heat.

​While the Rice cooks, ready the peppers. 4-6 Bell Peppers (any color) washed/seeded with tops cut off. When you're ready to assemble: Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce into a medium size, deep dish casserole pan. Arrange peppers so that they stand upright, with opening face up.

​Add 1-2 spoonfuls of the cheese mixture to each. Next add ¼ cup sauce to each pepper, followed by 1 cup (smaller peppers may not take quite as much filling). Now add enough sauce to each pepper to cover the rice mixture.

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and add the remaining cheddar cheese to to garnish each pepper. Bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes! We served with a tasty side of sauteed kale!