Preheat and prep: Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the peppers upright.

Prep the peppers: Slice the tops off the bell peppers and remove seeds and membranes. If they wobble, shave a thin slice off the bottom to level them. Brush or rub the outside with a little olive oil and season the insides lightly with salt.

Par-cook (optional but helpful): For softer peppers, place them cut-side up in the baking dish, add 1/2 cup water or broth to the dish, cover with foil, and bake for 10–12 minutes. Remove and set aside. Pour off excess liquid if there’s too much.

Cook the rice: If you haven’t cooked the rice yet, do that now. Leftover rice works great here.

Sauté aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened and lightly golden, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the beef: Add ground beef to the skillet. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, and cumin. Cook, breaking it up, until browned and no longer pink, 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.

Build the filling: Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup tomato sauce; simmer 2–3 minutes to thicken. Fold in cooked rice and half the cheese. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Stuff the peppers: Spoon the beef and rice mixture into each pepper, packing it in gently and mounding the tops.

Add sauce and cheese: If you like saucier peppers, spoon a little extra tomato sauce over the tops. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake: Arrange peppers upright in the baking dish. Add 1/2 cup water or broth to the bottom if the dish is dry. Cover loosely with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10–15 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden.

Finish and serve: Let them rest 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve warm, with a simple salad or roasted vegetables.