Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Feeling a little left out when my mom would make her amazing meaty stuffed peppers, I decided I would alter her recipe to accommodate people like me who don’t eat beef. Before I quit eating red meat, I would ask my mom to make these all the time because they were so good. Of course, given the amount of fuss involved, I didn’t get to have them nearly as much as I had liked. I wasn’t sure they would be as tasty without meat, but I was pleasantly surprised.

5 large green bell peppers

2 - 5.6-oz. packages Spanish rice mix

2 - 10-3/4-oz cans tomato soup

1 tsp dried basil

1 - 8-oz. can tomato sauce

1/3 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove tops of peppers and clean out seeds. Boil in a Dutch oven for 5 minutes. Set in cold water to cool, then drain. Meanwhile, cook the Spanish rice according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine tomato soup and basil. Mix 1/3 of the mixture into the rice. Stuff the peppers with the mixture. In another bowl, combine the tomato sauce and salsa. Pour into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Pour the rest of the tomato soup mixture over the tops of the peppers. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

For meaty stuffed peppers, brown 1 lb. hamburger with a small diced onion and season with salt and pepper. Add to Spanish rice and follow the rest of the recipe above.