Recipe #152: Stuffed Peppers

I like trying different recipes for the same meal until I find one that I really like.  I am done with the search for the perfect stuffed peppers recipe: I LOVED THIS!  Nick's dinner plate barely had to be washed!  This is my modified version of one I found on allrecipes.com...  (Man I love that site...)

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet red, orange or yellow peppers  (less bitter than green!)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more for more spice)
• 2 cups pasta sauce, plus more for topping
• 2-3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, divided

Directions

1. Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds. Place peppers cut side down on a microwave-safe plate; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender; set aside.
2. In a small skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the rice, parsley, salt, cayenne.  Add pasta sauce. Stir in the vinegar, basil and 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.  Simmer the mixture for a couple minutes.  Spoon into peppers. Place in a greased shallow 1-qt. baking dish. Top with a little more of the pasta sauce.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Serve with remaining sauce and mashed potatoes.