Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 can (400 g) Diced Tomatoes
2 jars (400 g each) Tomato Sauce
2 tsp. Garlic Salt
½ tsp. black pepper
2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook ground beef until brown, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat and set aside.
3. In large, deep skillet cook bell pepper and onion in hot oil until tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir cooked rice and cooked beef into tomato mixture.
4. Pour into 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

**I subbed brown rice and ground turkey instead. Yum!
**Instead of cooking in the oven, you can do it on the stove top for 20-30 min on low.
**The original recipe calls for Del Monte canned tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano. I found Happy Frucht brand has canned tomatoes with garlic and canned tomatoes with oregano. I add some extra garlic and/or oregano depending on which kind of canned tomatoes I use. I also use tomato sauce with basil to add more flavor.

*Recipe from my sister, Stefanie Schocke