Beef and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Gather the ingredients.

Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and rinse them under cold water; remove seeds and cut away the white ribs, which might be bitter. Chop the edible part of tops and set aside. Place the peppers in a large pot and cover with salted water.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until oil is hot and the butter is foamy. Sauté the chopped bell pepper (from the tops), chopped onion, and chopped celery for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Add the (undrained) canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, crushed garlic, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently stir to blend; add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture. Mix well.

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Stuff the peppers loosely with the ground beef mixture and place them in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Pour the remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers.

Bake the peppers for about 45 minutes, or until the meat mixture is thoroughly cooked.