STUFFED PEPPER AND TOMATO CASSEROLE
Source: Good Housekeeping
Servings: 8

1 cup parboiled rice
2 medium tomatoes
2 large yellow peppers
1 large green pepper
1 medium onion
1/2 pound sweet Italian-sausage links
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 pkgs (9 oz each) frozen creamed spinach, thawed

Prepare rice as label directs; set aside.

Cut a 1/4-inch thick slice from stem end of each tomato. Into small bowl, scoop pulp and juice from tomatoes; set aside tomato shells and pulp. Cut each pepper lengthwise in half; remove membrane and discard seeds. Chop onion.

In 5-qt Dutch oven or saucepot, heat 3 qts water to boiling. Add peppers; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 min or until peppers are almost tender. With slotted spoon, remove peppers and invert onto paper towels to drain.

Meanwhile, remove casings from sausage. In 10" skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage and onion, stirring to break up sausage, until onion is tender and sausage is no longer pink. Stir in tomato pulp with its liquid; over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; cook until liquid almost evaporates; remove skillet from heat. Stir in cooked rice, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and coarsely ground pepper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fill vegetables with rice mixture. Pour creamed spinach into 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Arrange stuffed vegetables in creamed spinach. Cover baking dish with a tent of foil. Bake 35 minutes or until rice mixture and creamed spinach are hot and vegetables are fork-tender.