Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I love stuffed peppers, but have never actually made them myself before. I always just buy the Stouffer's Stuffed Peppers..they're VERY good. I came across this recipe on Taste of Home and, seeing how easy it was to make, decided to give it a try. It was soooo good! I cut it down a bit and only made 4 peppers, so I had a little extra filling, but I just put that in a small dish for Jesse to have for lunch today. Heath enjoyed these as well...they're definitely something I'll be making again. Oh, and if you're wondering what 'One envelope of Mexican-style rice and pasta mix' is, it's this...

Anyway...hope you give this a try. It was a great dinner, and something a little different for us, which was nice. I always thought stuffed peppers would be a HUGE pain-in-the-butt to make, but turns out, they're not at all!

'Southwest Stuffed Peppers'

Source: Taste of Home

8 medium green peppers

1 pound lean ground beef

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1-1/2 cups water

1 envelope (5.4 ounces) Mexican-style rice and pasta mix

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend

Heat oven to 375. Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds. In a Dutch oven or large pot, cook peppers in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside.

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the diced tomatoes, water and pasta mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Place 1/3 cup rice mixture in each pepper; sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture. Place in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted and peppers are tender.