Simplest Stuffed Peppers

Makes 6 servings

Red, Round, or Green blogger Bri DeRosa calls this an easily freezable meal that they serve with rice or garlic bread. She thaws the peppers overnight in the refrigerator before baking. If you forget to thaw them, she says they can be cooked frozen, but you’ll need to set the oven to 450 degrees and extend the cooking time to anywhere from an hour to an hour and 20 minutes, or until they are hot and the cheese is melted. 1 pound ground beef, preferably grass-fed, or dark-meat ground turkey

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3⁄4 cup marinara sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon oregano

4 cups baby spinach OR 3 cups chopped kale

1 1⁄2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3 large bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If preparing peppers to eat right away, set pepper halves cut sides down in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and roast in preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, just until slightly softened. If making the peppers in advance to freeze for a meal later in the week, skip this step and just place raw pepper halves cut sides up in the baking dish.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté meat, onion and garlic in olive oil until meat is browned and onion is soft and translucent. Add marinara sauce and salt, pepper flakes and oregano. Stir to combine and simmer 4 to 5 minutes. Add greens; cover and cook an additional 5 minutes, until greens are wilted.

Spoon filling evenly into pepper halves. Top each pepper half with 3 to 4 tablespoons mozzarella cheese. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees; if you’ve par-cooked the peppers, the baking time is 20 to 25 minutes, until the peppers are soft but still hold their shape. If you’re assembling the dish, with the uncooked peppers, to cook later, the baking time will be 40 to 45 minutes.