Beef & Ham Stuffed Bell Peppers

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1/2 lb ground cooked ham
• 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup raw rice or 3/4 cup minute rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 -8 green peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 quart water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 -3 tablespoons bacon drippings or 2 -3 tablespoons oil
• 2 -3 tablespoons flour

Recipe

• 1 combine meat, eggs, rice,onion, salt and pepper; set aside.
• 2 cut peppers in half and seed.
• 3 stuff meat mixture into peppers and drop into sauce.
• 4 sauce: make a roux with oil and flour and cook over medium heat until brown but not burnt.
• 5 add 1 small can tomato paste and a quart of water.
• 6 stir with a whisk until sauce bubbles.
• 7 add bay leafs.
• 8 drop peppers into sauce.
• 9 cook, covered, at slow simmer on stovetop for 1-1 1/2 hr, or bake in covered casserole 1- 1/2 hours.
• 10 add water if necessary.
• 11 the rice will absorb water.
• 12 peppers should be covered with sauce, and peppers are done when rice is cooked.