Don't Say Diet: Make healthier stuffed peppers

The experts at Cooks Illustrated created a shortcut to stuffed peppers, and I found ways to trim that recipe's fat and calories, making this home-cooked meal healthier.

The original recipe contained 576 calories and 36.7 fat grams per serving. Eating a Big Mac instead would save you 36 calories and almost 8 fat grams.

I slim it down by choosing leaner beef and reduced-fat cheese. I add a little extra rice while subtracting the ketchup and part of the cheese. I also eliminate the recipe's olive oil by cooking the onions after the beef is browned.

What's the recipe's shortcut? Use the boiling water from the peppers to cook the rice. That helps get this dinner on the table in about 45 minutes.

My changes to this recipe cut the calories by 40 percent and slashed the fat by 79 percent. You can have one of my stuffed peppers for 343 calories and 7.6 fat grams.

Kathy's Stuffed Peppers

4 medium green or red bell peppers (about 6 ounces each), ½ inch trimmed off the tops and cores and seeds discarded

2/3 cup long-grain white rice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

12 ounces 96 percent lean ground beef

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

¾ cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend made with 2 percent milk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring 4 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil in a large stockpot over high heat. Add the bell peppers and cook until the peppers just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers from the pot, drain off the excess water and place the peppers cut-side up on paper towels. Return the water to a boil, add the rice and boil for about 13 minutes, or until tender. Drain the rice and transfer it to a large bowl. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While draining the can of tomatoes, reserve ¼ cup of the juice and discard the remaining juice.

While the rice is cooking, in a skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until it's crumbly and browned. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the rice. Stir in the tomatoes, reserved juice, cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Place the peppers cut-side up in a 9-inch square baking dish. Divide the filling evenly among the peppers and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is heated through. Serve immediately.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 343 calories, 7.6 grams fat, 642 milligrams sodium, 36 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 28 grams protein, 64 milligrams cholesterol.