Stuffed Peppers

I've been wanting to try making something like this for a while but as I've never actually tasted a stuffed pepper, I wasn't sure where to start.  Yup, it's true.  I did not grow up eating much Italian food outside of the occasional bowl of spaghetti or pastry.  Once in a while my mom would make lasagna but then when I stopped eating beef in high school, I stopped eating lasagna too.  (It was the early 90's and before ground everything else was easy to find.)

I only have one bestie who vigorously claims an Italian heritage (hey Belle!) and we didn't meet until college.  So what I am trying to say is that while my food palate was fairly diverse as a child, I didn't really know much about Italian food. 

So if you've been here long enough, you know that I don't much care for chocolate, high heels or pasta.  Girl card...gone.  I know.

But then I saw two of my favorite bloggers making something similar this week and knew I had to pull up my big girl britches and just make something up.

So I did.  And it was ridiculously easy.  And sooo yummy.  Probably not even remotely authentic.  But seeing as how it is the only brush with a stuffed pepper in my life...I'm not complaining.  Now my mind is spinning with what else I can stuff into a pepper in the future. 

Probably Not Authentic But Definitely Yummy Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
* green peppers (I made five for this recipe and had some leftover filling.)
* rice (I used this brown rice)
* cooked meat (I used 4 chipotle chicken sausage cut up)
* veggies (I added peas but spinach would be yum too)
* 1/2 - 1 cup cheese
* tomato sauce or paste (I used @ 1/3 jar sauce)
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:* Mix everything together.  Reserving a bit of the cheese to top each pepper.
* Slice off the tippy top of the peppers.  Take a paring knife and run it down the four sides to disconnect the ribs.  Remove the seeds.
* Stuff peppers with mixture.  Top with cheese.
* Bake at 350 until tender (@30 mins)

Notes:
* This is a great way to use up leftovers.  Leftover rice from Chinese take-out, leftover shredded chicken or pork, etc.
* Want to make it vegetarian?  Don't add meat.  Ha- it's that simple.  Want more protein?  Add in a can of drained chick peas instead of meat.
* I think I might try adding some Italian dressing instead of red sauce one time too.
* I used a muffin tin to bake the peppers so they wouldn't fall down.  Which worked out perfectly!

Did y'all grow up eating stuffed peppers and other classic Italian dishes?  Is there something basic like this (Italian or otherwise) that you didn't try until you were in your 20's or 30's or later?