Stuffed Bell Peppers

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise through the stem and remove all seeds and white membranes using a spoon so the halves look like little boats ready to hold filling.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and drop pepper halves in for exactly 3 minutes to soften them, then drain and place cut side up in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add diced onion, cooking until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes so the onion sweetens.

Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, then crumble in ground beef and cook until no pink remains, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon.

Drain excess grease if there's more than a tablespoon, then season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning while the meat is hot so the flavors penetrate the beef.

Stir cooked rice into the beef mixture along with diced tomatoes and half the tomato sauce, mixing everything until well combined and letting it simmer for 3 minutes.

Add half the shredded cheese and stir until melted throughout the mixture, then taste and adjust seasoning before stuffing.

Spoon the beef and rice mixture into each pepper half, filling them about three quarters full without packing down too hard so they have room to expand.

Pour the remaining tomato sauce around the peppers in the bottom of the baking dish, not directly on top, then sprinkle remaining cheese generously over each stuffed pepper.

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes so the peppers steam and become completely tender.

Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly with golden spots, then let rest 5 minutes before serving.