Stuffed Peppers

I can remember waking up on Sunday mornings and smelling the stuffed peppers as early as 9 a.m., which meant that they were probably cooking since 7.  Today the smell alone takes me right back to my bedroom in Wood-Ridge, getting ready for church and making my way downstairs only to steal a piece of bread to dunk into the gravy.  I know I wasn’t supposed to eat before church, but I knew God would understand. I don’t think he would pass that pot up either if given the chance.  Returning back home from church, I could not wait to have dinner. Dinner at 1 o’clock may sound strange to non-Italian Americans, but yes, on Sundays we ate dinner, not lunch, in the early afternoon. And, it was fabulous! — Jen

You'll need:
1 lb of ground turkey or beef
1 packet of boil-in-a-bag rice, brown or white, cooked
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
4 large peppers, I prefer orange or yellow because they are so so sweet, but you can also use green or red
Your homemade Italian gravy or favorite red sauce

Preparation:
Cut off the tops of the peppers, discard
Gut and clean the inside of the pepper
Mix meat, cooked rice, oil and garlic powder
Stuff peppers with mixture
Place stuffed peppers into a large pot (you can use a slow cooker if you like)
Fill the pot with gravy/sauce to slightly above the mid point of the pepper
Cook on a low simmer for six hours (or in the slow cooker for desired time until the peppers are tender)
Spoon sauce over the peppers throughout cooking to add flavor

Serve in a bowl with a chunck of crusty Italian bread!