Stuffed Bell Pepper with Cheese

It's the first day of summer as I write this and I felt like something a little different, so I came up with this recipe for something fun and good to eat on a moderately warm Summer day like today...Before you balk, check this recipe out and try to have an open mind.

I know that when people say something like that, that usually means that something won't taste as good..but trust me...This is really good.Check it out-

INGREDIENTS:


Filling:

lb ground turkey or ground beef if you prefer

1/2 lb turkey sausage or regular suasage

1/2 cup instant rice, white or brown

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup ketchup

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

1 cup baby spinach leaves (a few handfuls)

1 1/2 tbsp. parsley flakes, or 2 tbsp if fresh

1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp if minced

1 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Johnny's or Lawry's Seasoning Salt

You can either buy Cheese sauce or you can make it from scratch..
(Psst,I'd buy it...but if you're a purist...)

1cup of butter

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. flour

3 1/2 cup milk

1 lb cheese, shredded (I use 1/4 lb cheddar, 1/4 lb Pepper Jack)
Pepper, to taste...


DIRECTIONS:

Peppers: Cook rice according to brand instructions.

Cut tops of bell peppers off about 1/3 of the way from the top.

Remove seeds and membrane, rinse.

Coarsely chop tops, discarding stems, and saute with onion and carrot, seasoning with Seasoning Salt.

Brown meat, add to veggie mix. Mix in all remaining filling ingredients, blending well.

Fill pepper shells, compressing with a spoon to fill all compartments. Place in baking pan, meat side up. Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 35-40 minutes. Top with cheese sauce and serve.

Cheese sauce: Make a light roux by melting butter over medium-high heat, taking care not to scorch. Add 1/2 cup flour in small increments, stirring constantly until smooth. Roux should be pasty. Add milk in 1/2 cup increments while stirring. Stir until sauce thickens to a creamy consistency. Slowly add cheese, stirring until melted. If sauce is thin, add remaining flour 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

Warning: The sauce takes quite a while to tighten up (thicken), so start it when you put the filled peppers in the oven and have patience!

Now doesn't that sound delicious???  Enjoy!