Enchilada-style stuffed peppers with ground beef

4 red bell peppers

Filling:
about 1 T lard (or olive oil, or your fat of choice)
1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
1/2-1 t basil
1/2-1 t oregano
about 1/2 t cumin
a dash of chipotle chili powder
salt to taste
about 5 oz queso fresco, crumbled
about 4 oz colby cheese, shredded

Sauce:
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can mild diced green chiles
1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled
a pinch of cinnamon
a dash of ground cumin
salt to taste

Topping:
about 5 oz queso fresco, crumbled
about 4 oz colby cheese, shredded

Method:
Wash the bell peppers.  Cut them in half vertically (through the stem).  Lay them on their sides, and use the knife to cut through the core, just below the stem, without piercing the wall of the pepper.  Remove any stray seeds, and any soft membrane that will get in the way of the stuffing.

 Warm the lard in a large skillet.  Add the onion and garlic, and saute for a minute or so.  Add the beef, and brown it, and break it up.  Add the spices, and make sure it is cooked through.  Remove from the heat, and let it start to cool down.

Put the tomatoes, chiles, onion, and garlic into a blender, and blend until smooth.  Add the spices, and blend to combine.

Crumble and shred the cheeses.  Set aside the cheese for the topping.  Stir the rest into the filling.

Stuff the filling into the pepper halves, and arrange them in a 9x13" pan.  Scrape out the skillet as well as you can.

Pour the sauce into the skillet, and cook over medium heat, stirring it enough that it won't splash all over the kitchen, until it doesn't taste like raw onion, and it isn't quite as watery.

Spoon the sauce over the stuffed peppers.

Top them with the reserved cheese.

I was making this ahead of time, so I put it in the refrigerator, and baked it later.

I baked it at 325 in a convection oven (equivalent of 350 in a regular oven) for 45 minutes, then reduced the heat to 200, and continued for another 15 minutes.
I think it would be better to start lower, and broil the top if it doesn't brown.