Step 1

Rinse and drain the rice.

Step 2

Add the rice and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or check the rice package for the cooking time.

Step 3

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

Step 4

Wash the peppers, cut off their tops (I like to keep them to use when serving the peppers), remove the seeds, and clean the inside well by gently removing all the veins.

Step 5

If needed, cut the bottoms of the peppers just a little to level them so they can stand straight in the baking dish.

Step 6

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, starting with the ground beef and ending with the chopped parsley. Stir well to combine fully.

Step 7

If you have time, brown the beef in a skillet before adding it to the mixture. This adds extra flavor but dirties another pan. Either way, the peppers will turn out delicious.

Step 8

Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper and arrange them in a lightly oiled baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward.

Step 9

Top each pepper with a few tablespoons of marinara sauce.

Step 10

Bake in the preheated oven, basting with the remaining sauce every 15 minutes until the peppers are tender.

Step 11

Top the peppers with shredded cheese and broil for a few minutes before serving.

Step 12

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve.