Stuffed Mini Bells Appetizer

The holidays are on their way and some of you may already be planning your holiday dinners and parties. We are still picking bell peppers from our garden.  I thought I would make some yummy stuffed mini bell appetizers. These are easy and delish and a great starter for holiday parties too! You can make these ahead of time, this is a migraine safe recipe. If you are not on a migraine safe diet please see Katie’s Tid Bits below.

What You’ll Need:

16-20 Mini bell peppers
3 Tbsp. Canola oil
1 Clove garlic (finely chopped)
11/2 Lb. lean ground beef
1/ ½ Cups white rice (cooked)
14.5 oz. Can Italian style diced tomatoes ( I use Del Monte)
1-6 oz. Can tomato paste ( I use Hunts)
1/2 tsp Oregano (dry
1/2 tsp Basil (dry)
1/2 tsp Thyme (dry)
1/2 tsp. Rosemary (dry)
1 tsp. black pepper (fresh ground)
½ tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. Black pepper (fresh ground)
1/2 Cup water (divided)
1/4 Cup parsley (chopped) optional
1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
Large Pot
Slotted spoon
Paper towel or clean tea towel
Large skillet
Baking dish (size depends on the size of the pepper it should accommodate the peppers well)
Medium bowl
Serving plate that will hold all of the peppers

Before You Start– Line a plate with paper towel or clean tea towel. Preheat oven to 350°. Precook white rice according to package directions (do not use instant or minute rice). Prepare mini bell peppers by laying the peppers out to find the best side to keep them from rolling around on your plate, then cut the sides off just below the stem and scoop out the seeds. Rinse under cold running water.
Let’s Make It! Fill a large pot about 3/4 of the way full with water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil over high heat. Carefully place peppers into the boiling water and keep them submerged until they become soft (about 3-5 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to push down on the peppers and to keep them in the water. Remove the peppers from the water and drain on cloth lined plate until they are cool enough to handle.
Heat canola oil in skillet over medium heat, add garlic and sauté well. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the hamburger meat continue cooking until meat is browned. Add rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme ¼ cup of water, salt and pepper. Stir together well to combine.
Place peppers into baking dish open end up, using a teaspoon fill each pepper with the meat mixture carefully. Pour the remaining ¼ cup of water around the peppers to just fill the bottom of the baking dish a bit. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella cheese, return to oven until cheese melts (about 2-3 minutes)
Serves 12-16 ( one each) Garnish with parsley ( optional)
*Katies Tid Bits, If you are not on a migraine safe diet, saute 1/2 cup chopped white onions with the garlic. You can make these ahead of time, cover and keep refrigerated, then pop in the microwave ( covered) for 3-5 minutes, top with cheese and return to microwave for about 45 seconds.

There you have it, stuffed Mini Bells Appetizer. Will you try these appetizers?