Stuffed Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 box Spanish Rice-a-Roni

2 cups of water (as called for in package directions)

1 15.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

4 to 6 green bell peppers

shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Over medium high heat, brown meat in a skillet. Push meat to one side of pan, and if the meat is very lean add about 1/2 Tablespoon of butter to the empty side of the pan (if there is a little drippings in the bottom of the pan, omit the butter; if there's a lot of grease in the pan, drain it off). Pour the rice/vermicelli mix to the empty side of the pan, and leave for a few minutes stirring to even the browning. Add the seasoning packet to the pan, and stir together with rice and meat. Add the diced tomatoes, the 2 cups of water, and the raisins, stirring to mix. Cover pan and cook for about twenty minutes.

In the mean time, wash the peppers, cut their tops off, and remove the seeds and membranes. Also preheat oven to 35o degrees F.

After the rice is cooked, stir a cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the rice. Spoon the rice into the peppers, and place in a casserole dish. Place a small amount of water in the bottom of the dish. Cover, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Top with a little more cheese, and return to oven just until melted.

My note: You can leave the raisins out if you like, or rather if you don't like, but I love them included.