10 medium green peppers, tops removed and seeded

Sauce:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves crushed garlic cloves
1 large can peeled crushed tomatoes
12 oz. tomato paste
2 quarts hot water
1 bay leaf
salt, pepper to taste

Meat Mixture:

2 lbs. ground round
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
6 large eggs
3 cups dried bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil

Sauce:

In a 4 quart Dutch oven, sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add tomatoes and heat to high until mixture boils and cook 15 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir until smooth. Turn heat to low stirring frequently until thick (approximately 45 minutes).

Add water and bring to boil and lower heat. Add bay leaf, salt and pepper. Let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce will be thin but will thicken during baking.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Meatballs:

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Pack each pepper to the top with meat mixture (make small meatballs out of extra meat) Put peppers into a 13X9-inch baking dish. Pour sauce over peppers. Cover with tin foil and bake for 2 hours. Baste occasionally.

Please note: If you have extra sauce you may use it for spaghetti.

Submitted by: Shirley Conrad