August 22, 2012 - Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

So tonight we tried our hand at more Italian cuisine. We made lasagna stuffed peppers, which are basically green bell peppers cut in half and stuffed with lasagna filling. This one came at a cost though. Brittany cut her finger while trying to seed one of the peppers. No worries, though. She is alive and doing well. The recipe was pretty good! See note below. 

*Note: It was a little bland tasting so you may want to season the meat with something yummy to add a little flavor or kick. 

LASAGNA STUFFED PEPPERS
4 large green peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 pound ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 cup spaghetti sauce
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 egg
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Place the peppers in a large baking pan at least 9 x 13 inches; sprinkle the inside of the peppers with salt. Meanwhile brown the ground beef, garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper and half the garlic powder; drain the fat. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed. Combine the ricotta cheese, egg and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese in a small bowl; season with salt, pepper and the remaining garlic powder. Divide the ricotta mixture between the pepper halves. Top the ricotta mixture with the meat sauce; mound the mozzarella cheese over the top of each pepper. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup parmesan. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned.

Makes 8 servings

Per Serving: 327 Calories; 21g Fat; 24g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber