stuffed green peppers

This is one of my husband's favorite dishes. It's meaty, hearty and makes your house smell awesome! Prep time is less than 30 minutes and your oven can do the rest!

Ingredients:

Green peppers - 3 (try to pick a small one)

[A]
Ground beef - 1 lbs
Onion - 1/2 (minced)
Carrots - 1 small (minced very finely)
Egg - 1
Bread crumbs - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Italian seasoning - 1tsp
Paprika - 1 tsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 2 TBS

[Tomato sauce]
Can tomatoes - 1
Tomato ketchup - 1/3 cup
white or brown sugar (your choice) - 1/4 cup

Parmesan or any kind of cheese - desirable amount

Prep:

1. Mince (very finely) onion and carrots. 
2. Cut green peppers in half and take the seeds out. It should look like a little green pepper bowl.
3. Mix all the ingredients under [A] in a bowl and mix well with your hands.

Cook:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F
2. Stuff the meat mixture in green pepper bowls.
3. Heat the frying pan (big enough for 6 or you can do 3 by 3) with butter and fry the meat side down first for 5 minutes. Turn and fry for another 3-5 minutes. 
4. Take out the green peppers in oven-safe container (e.g. pyrex glass wear or baking pans)
5. In the same frying pan, mix can tomatoes, ketchup and sugar. Bring it to boil and let it simmer for couple of minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust to your taste. (add more sugar if you like it sweeter, add chili powder for spicy kick, etc) 
6. Pour the tomato sauce on green peppers. 
7. Put in preheated oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Lower the oven to 350F and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for another 20 minutes.
8. Take out from the oven and sprinkle with cheese and watch it melt. :)

Serve:

1. Serve with warm rice and salad 

TIPS

• Use smaller green peppers so the heat can go through the meat easily, but if you can only find big green peppers, cut them in four.
• If you have picky eaters at home, grind/chop carrots and onion very finely and hide them in the ground beef.
• Substitute ground beef with ground chicken or turkey for healthier option