These stuffed peppers are healthy and delicious!

They are also gluten-free and vegetarian, so they are perfect for serving to a group of people with some dietary restrictions.

The full recipe serves 12, but you can choose to make as many peppers as you need and freeze the extra stuffing.

Step 1: Ingredients

12 bell peppers (or fewer if you plan on freezing extra stuffing)
1 cup wild and brown rice
2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
thyme
salt
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 zucchini, grated
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 egg
650 ml jar of your favourite pasta sauce
540 ml (19 oz) canned lentils
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese

When selecting your peppers, try to find ones with a flat bottom so they will be able to stand on their own. You can trim the bottoms of some peppers to get them flat, but you do not want to have to cut so much that you wind up with a hole at the bottom.

I use a store-bought jar of pasta sauce to save time, but you can definitely substitute it with your homemade sauce!

Step 2: Start Cooking

In a pot, bring the stock and rice to a boil.

Add a pinch of thyme and salt.

Reduce heat to minimum, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Saute the garlic and onions in a pan.

Step 3: Preparing the Vegetables

Cut the tops off of the peppers. Discard the stem and seeds and then chop the remaining tops. Place the pepper bottoms in a lasagna pan or casserole dish.

Grate the zucchini and carrot.

After 20 minutes, throw the zucchini, carrot and chopped pepper in the pot with the rice. Cook with the cover on for an additional 10 minutes.

Rinse and drain the lentils. Put them in a large bowl.

Step 4: Putting Together the Stuffing

Add the onion and garlic to the lentils.

Mix together the egg, parmesan cheese and ¾ of the pasta sauce.

Fluff the rice and vegetables with a fork and add them to the lentils.

Mix the pasta sauce mixture into the bowl.

Add half the grated mozzarella cheese and stir to combine.

Step 5: Stuff and Cook

Pack the stuffing into the peppers, filling them up. If, like me, you are making fewer than all 12 peppers, put the remaining stuffing in a freezer bag to save for another occasion.

Add the remaining pasta sauce on top of the stuffing. Top with the rest of the mozzarella.

Add some water to the bottom of the baking dish and cover with aluminium foil.

Cook for 45 minutes at 375°F.

Remove the aluminium foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Enjoy your delicious stuffed peppers with friends!