Stuffed Green Peppers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until tender, 2-3 mins. Cook longer if you like your peppers soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.

In a large skillet or saute pan, heat the oil over med-high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers and cook until soft, about 3 mins. Add the beef, pork or ital. sausage), garlic, salt, pepper flakes and black pepper. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon to break up the lumps, about 6-10 mins. Add the rice and tomato sauce and stir well. At this point if want to substitue peas instead of diced peppers throw the peas in at this step and heat through 2 mins. Remove from heat and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8"-1/4" deep. Stuff the bell peppers with the rice mixture half way up then sprinkle with Mozarella & Gruyere another layer of rice mixture. Spread 1-2 Tbl. of tomato sauce on top of each pepper. Place peppers in a baking dish then place this into the pan with water. If any left over rice mixture fill in around the peppers. I don't usually measure I eyeball the ingredients and usually end up adding more.

Cover with foil & cook peppers in oven about 30 mins. until tender. Remove and sprinkle with more Gruyere and Mozarella and return to oven another 15-20 mins. until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from oven, let rest for approx. 10 mins. before serving.