Stuffed peppers in a slow cooker

Ingredients:

• 4 large bell peppers, preferably red, orange and/or yellow (about 2 kg total)
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• Half a medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 350 g of ground beef with 10% fat content
• 2 plum tomatoes (about 200g), cored and diced
• 1/4 cup lightly salted chicken broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1.5 cups grated mature cheddar
• 3/4 cup pre-cooked white or brown rice
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Special equipmentInstant Pot 6-quart multicooker with stand

Preparation:

1. If the bell pepper won't stand upright on a cutting board, trim about 0.3 cm off the bottom to make it flat. Trim 1 cm off the top of each pepper. Remove and discard the seeds and stem, then finely chop the remaining flesh from the trimmed top. Remove as many seeds and membranes as possible from the peppers. Set the prepared peppers aside.
2. Set the slow cooker to high heat for sautéing. Pour olive oil into the pan; once it begins to shimmer, add the chopped bell pepper, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until all pink spots disappear, about 4 minutes more.
3. Add diced tomato, chicken broth, tomato paste, chili powder, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato begins to soften and the mixture is thick and juicy, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 cup of cheddar and rice and cook until the cheese is melted and combined with the rice. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the saute function, then spoon the filling into the prepared peppers. Wipe out the slow cooker bowl.
4. Place a trivet in the bottom of the bowl and pour in 3/4 cup of water. Add the stuffed bell peppers (they should fit snugly together).
5. Following the manufacturer's instructions, close the lid and prepare the multicooker for use. Set the pressure cooker to high pressure for 5 minutes. Once the pressure cooker cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's instructions to quickly release the pressure and wait for the cycle to complete (this should take about 1 minute).
6. Being careful not to burn yourself with residual steam, open and remove the lid, then sprinkle the stuffed peppers with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar, dividing the cheese evenly. Replace the lid and let stand until the residual steam melts the cheese, about 1 minute. Using tongs or a large spoon, transfer the stuffed peppers to a plate and sprinkle with parsley.