Stuffed Peppers with Ham and Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

• 4 medium Bell peppers (Any color)
• 4 tablespoons Lean raw ham (Finely chopped)
• 0.5 medium Onion (Chopped)
• 2 tablespoons Butter (Unsalted)
• 1 cup Mushrooms (Sliced)
• 0.5 cup Brown Sauce (Store-bought or homemade)
• 0.5 cup Bread crumbs (Plain or seasoned)
• 0.25 teaspoon Salt (Or to taste)
• 4 slices Toast (For serving)
• 1 cup Cooked chicken or veal (Finely chopped, optional for vegetarian version)
• 1 teaspoon Onion juice (Optional for vegetarian version)
• 0.25 teaspoon Black pepper (Optional for vegetarian version)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut a slice from the stem end of each pepper, remove seeds and membranes. Parboil peppers in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften them slightly. Drain well.
2. 2In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes, until softened. Add sliced mushrooms and finely chopped ham (or cooked chicken/veal for vegetarian option) and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in Brown Sauce and bread crumbs. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. 3Sprinkle the inside of the parboiled peppers with salt. Fill each pepper with the cooked filling mixture. Cover the top of each pepper with additional buttered bread crumbs (optional). Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes, or until heated through and the bread crumbs are lightly browned.
4. 4Serve the stuffed peppers hot on slices of toast, with additional Brown Sauce on the side, if desired.