Stuffed Bell Peppers

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Wash the green peppers. Cut the tops off and set them aside. Remove the seeds and membranes from the inside of the peppers.

Place the hollowed-out peppers into the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain.

Dice the medium onion and the reserved tops of the bell peppers.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the diced onion and pepper tops.

Drain the excess fat from the skillet.

Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and dried basil.

Add the drained diced tomatoes and green chiles (reserving the juice), and the can of tomato sauce. Mix well.

Stir in the uncooked rice and 2 cups of water.

Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

Pour the reserved juice from the tomatoes into the bottom of a baking pan and arrange the softened peppers inside.

Once the filling is cooked, stuff each pepper generously.

Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, and top each pepper with shredded cheddar cheese.

Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.