Name: Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice (Speca të Mbushura me Mish)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Albanian
Ingredients: 8 medium green Italian peppers; 2 whole large tomatoes; 12 oz crushed tomatoes; 1 lb ground beef; 1 large onion; 1 ½ cups long-grain rice; 2 tbsp fresh parsley; 2 tbsp fresh dill; 3 cloves of garlic; 1 pinch salt; 1 pinch pepper

8 medium green Italian peppersseeds removed (bell or red peppers are also fine)

2 whole large tomatoeshollow out the insides (for stuffing)

12 oz crushed tomatoesfor the sauce

1 lb ground beef

1 large oniondiced

1 ½ cups long-grain rice

2 tbsp fresh parsleychopped

2 tbsp fresh dillchopped

3 cloves of garlicminced

1 pinch saltas needed

1 pinch pepper as needed

Preheat oven on 400 degrees F.

In a large deep skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and cook until softened.

Add ground beef and cook by breaking the ground beef up with the spoon until no longer pink.

At this point stir in crushed tomatoes, rice, salt, pepper and one cup of water. Let it cook until all the juices are absorbed or the filling is thickened.

Add dill and parsley and mix well.

Stuff the peppers and place them on the baking dish (9 by 13 inch) coated with oil. Place the remaining filling around the peppers and drizzle with oil on top.

Pour two cups of water in the baking pan for the rice and peppers to continue cooking. Cover the pan with aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes, than bake uncovered until peppers rich a reddish brown color.