Chef John's Stuffed Peppers

1. Bring rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the cooked rice aside.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

3. Make sauce: Cook onion and olive oil over medium heat until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer 1/2 of the cooked onion to a large bowl and set aside.

4. Stir marinara sauce, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes into the skillet with cooked onion; cook and stir for 1 minute.

5. Pour sauce mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

6. Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, Italian parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into the bowl with reserved onions; mix well. Stir in cooked rice and Parmigiano Reggiano. Stuff green bell peppers with beef and sausage mixture.

7. Place stuffed green bell pepper halves in the baking dish over tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

8. Remove aluminum foil and bake until the meat is no longer pink, the green peppers are tender and the cheese is browned on top, an additional 20 to 25 minutes.

Editor's Note:

You can use any color of bell pepper for this recipe depending on your preference. There are also different ways to cut the peppers, though we have found cutting them in half lengthwise makes them a bit easier to work with.