Start cooking the rice first since it requires the most time and can work independently while you prep other ingredients. In a saucepan, bring 1.5 cups water to a boil, add the rice, stir once, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15-18 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender. While the rice cooks, preheat your oven to 400°F. This parallel cooking saves significant time in your overall workflow.

Halve the bell peppers vertically and carefully remove all seeds and membranes. Roughly chop any usable pepper pieces from the tops (you should have about 1 cup of chopped pepper). Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold all 12 pepper halves (a 9x13 inch dish works well), then arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in the water. This water bath helps the peppers cook evenly and prevents them from drying out during baking.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and chopped pepper pieces, sautéing for about 5 minutes until they start to soften and the onion becomes translucent. Add the ground beef and cook for 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns—you want most of the meat to lose its pink color and develop some light browning. This creates a flavorful base for the filling.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for just 30 seconds until fragrant—this brief cooking prevents the garlic from becoming bitter. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine all ingredients evenly. I like to taste the mixture at this point and adjust the seasoning since these flavors form the heart of the dish.

Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the cooked rice from Step 1 along with 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, mixing until everything is evenly distributed. Spoon the filling generously into each pepper half, mounding it slightly. For best results, I like to shred my cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded, as it melts more smoothly and creates a better texture on top.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. The foil traps steam, helping the peppers soften while the filling heats through. After 40 minutes, carefully remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese evenly over the tops of all the peppers. Return to the oven uncovered and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden on top.

Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. This brief rest allows the filling to set slightly and the peppers to cool enough to handle comfortably without burning yourself. The water in the bottom of the pan creates a light sauce that you can spoon over each pepper when plating.