Baked Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

ttasteandsee.com
serves 6
Baked Lasagna Stuffed Peppers - full of traditional hearty Italian flavors like ground beef sautéed with marinara, ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheese… all packed in sweet bell peppers
Ingredients

• 6 bell peppers (red, yellow, and/or orange)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ⅓ rounded cup chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1½ cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

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Preparation​​

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash peppers and dry.  Cut off the tops and remove seeds/core, then carefully slice off just the very bottom of each pepper to create a flat surface.  Don't cut off too much or the sauce will leak. 
3. Spray a 9X13 cooking dish with cooking spray then place the peppers upright in the dish.
4. Cook the peppers, whole, for approximately 15 minutes.  (This will result in al dente doneness.  If you prefer your peppers to have a softer texture, cook 5-10 minutes longer.)
5. While the peppers are cooking in the oven, bring olive oil to medium heat in a large saucepan.  Saute chopped onions and olive oil for 3-5 minutes, then add garlic, and cook for another minute.
6. Add ground beef, salt, and pepper, red pepper flakes (optional), then saute until cooked, about 5 more minutes.  Add oregano, basil, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and marinara sauce.  Cook for another 5 minutes.
7. In a small bowl combine ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg, and 3 tablespoons of the parsley. 
8. As soon as the peppers have cooked for 15 minutes, remove them from the oven and reduce oven temp to 375 degrees.
9. Layer 2-3 tablespoons of the meat mixture into each pepper.   Add the ricotta layer next, dividing it equally among all 6 peppers.  Then add another layer of meat sauce.
10. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.   Remove foil and top each pepper with mozzarella.  Bake uncovered 5-10 more minutes, until mozzarella is melted.  Garnish with remaining chopped parsley and serve.