Stuffed Pepper Soup

I love stuffed bell peppers, but I never make them.  I don't like having to go through the trouble of blanching and stuffing the peppers, and I can never seem to get them quite tender enough in the oven.  This soup has all the flavor of stuffed bell peppers, but none of the hassle. 

I adjusted the preparation of this recipe to suit my "I really didn't mean to be standing over the copy machine until 5:00" day.  I had two pots going at the same time, and I cooked the peppers and onion along with the ground beef.  This cut down on the cooking time quite a bit.  Next time, I'd like to top each serving with some shredded cheddar!

Adapted from Cooking with Chrissy

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp oil
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 large green bell peppers, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
28 oz can tomato sauce
28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups long grain rice
32 oz low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper
DIRECTIONS

1.  Place oil in a large skillet and swirl to coat bottom.  Heat over medium high until shimmering.  Add ground beef, bell pepper, and onion.  Saute until peppers are tender and beef is cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, pour tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and beef broth into a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Add rice, brown sugar, and garlic.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Add beef mixture to rice mixture.  Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and ground chipotle pepper.  Stir well.  Adjust seasonings to taste.