Stuffed Bell Peppers with Orzo and Beef

Why should rice have all the fun?! I stuffed these gorgeous bell peppers with a blend of tender orzo pasta, ground beef, tomato sauce, herbs, and parmesan cheese. Then, I smothered the top with mozzarella!! Yeah baby!

Here's cross-section so you can see the awesome-ness: 

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Orzo and Beef

4 bell peppers, make sure they're all about the same size
1 cup orzo, cooked according to package directions (for me that was 9 minutes)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup pasta sauce
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the very top (stem end) of each pepper, trying to keep as much of the pepper as possible. Remove the seeds and membranes. Slice the bottoms so they stand up straight (again, keep as much of the pepper as possible, just remove what you need to make a solid base). Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the beef and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the oregano, salt and pepper and stir to coat. Add the cooked orzo, pasta sauce and parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
Here's what the mixture looks like: 

Spoon the mixture into the peppers and transfer the peppers to a baking dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Serves 4