Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray or lightly oil a 9"x 13" baking dish.
2. Cut the bell peppers in half from the bottom to the stem end. Remove core and seeds. Place in baking dish, cut side up, and spray or lightly drizzle inside with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the peppers in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until crisp-tender.
3. Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Push the onions to the side of the skillet and add the ground meat. Cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula. Combine the meat and onions and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the meat mixture. Stir in the diced tomatoes, oregano, thyme and rosemary. Cook for about 8-10 minutes to cook the tomatoes and allow the flavors to develop. Add the rice and stir to combine. Stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
4. Pour the liquid from the roasted peppers into the meat mixture and stir again. Remove skillet from heat. Spoon and gently pack the meat and veggie mixture into the peppers -it looks like it won't fit, but it does :-) Place back into the oven for 15 minutes or until inside temp is 150 F. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Place back in oven for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. If making ahead - stuff peppers and wait until ready to finish before adding the cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. If frozen, allow to defrost in the refrigerator. Heat oven to 400 F covered for 20-30 minutes or until inside temp is 150 F. Remove foil, top with cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.