6 whole bell peppers of your favorite color
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 zucchini, grated
1 shallot, finely diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Two 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Slice the tops off the bell peppers. Clean out the seeds and ribs from the inside, making sure to keep the tops and peppers intact.
Empty 1 can of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
In a large bowl combine the ground beef, uncooked white rice, grated zucchini, shallot, mushrooms, garlic, and half a can of tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and mix to thoroughly combine all ingredients.
Gently scoop a bit of the filling into each of the bell peppers, pressing down slightly as you do. Fill the peppers completely, but don't overstuff them. The rice will expand as it cooks, so you want to leave some room.
As the peppers are filled, place them upright into the slow cooker. When all the peppers are in, place the tops back on, and brush the peppers with oil. Salt the tops of the peppers, and cover with remaining tomato sauce.
Place the lid on the slow cooker, set to low, and cook for 7 hours.
Take the lids off the peppers, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Leave the pepper tops off, replace the lid of the slow cooker, turn to high and cook for another 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
