Healthier Stuffed Peppers

½ cup brown rice

1 cup water

1 pound lean ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 green bell peppers

2 red bell peppers

2 yellow bell peppers

1 (8 ounce) can natural tomato sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 (8 ounce) can natural tomato sauce

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bring brown rice and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.

Cook and stir beef, garlic, and onion in a skillet over medium heat until meat is evenly browned and onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the green, red, and yellow bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. Slice the bottoms off the peppers if necessary so that they stand upright.

Mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.

Bake in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender, about 1 hour. Sprinkle the peppers with grated Parmesan cheese after baking.