1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. ground fully cooked ham
1 (7 oz.) can tomatoes, cut up
1/2 c. tomato juice
1 1/4 c. crushed saltine crackers
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. sugar
Several dashes hot pepper sauce
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
4 green peppers, halved crosswise and seeded

For stuffing in a large skillet melt butter, add onion, celery and garlic cook until tender. Add ham, undrained tomatoes, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup crushed crackers, egg, sugar, hot pepper sauce and ground red pepper. In a large saucepan cook green peppers halves in boiling water for 4 minutes, drain. Fill green peppers with the ham vegetable mixture. Arrange peppers in a 13 inch pan cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. For topping combine the remaining crushed crackers and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Top green peppers with crumb mixture and return to oven. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with parsley.