Stuffed Bell Peppers

Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Slice the tops off the bell peppers and remove the inner ribs and seeds. Stand the empty peppers upright in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of the dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 15 minutes. This creates steam to soften the pepper walls early.

While the peppers par-bake, heat a splash of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and diced onion, breaking the meat apart until fully browned. Drain any excess fat. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, cooking for another minute until fragrant.

Turn the heat down to low. Stir in the cooked rice, half of the tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix well until the cheese melts slightly and holds the filling together. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Carefully remove the peppers from the oven and discard any water left in the dish. Spoon the warm filling tightly into each pepper cavity. Drizzle the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top of the filling in each pepper.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil again and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes to cook the peppers completely and let the flavors meld.

Remove the foil, pile the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese generously on top of each pepper, and return to the oven uncovered for 5 minutes—or pop under the broiler—until the cheese is bubbling and golden-brown.