Stuffed Like A......

............PEPPER!!!!

I bet you were all wondering when I was going to do another food post.

Did you think I stopped cooking?

Of course not!!

Things have been just a tad crazy around here since we returned from our trip. Mortgage rates are at an all time low and Pat has been working round the clock, even on weekends. My new hire started yesterday, so I spent last week preparing things for her so I can get her trained and ramped up fairly quickly. Soccer has also started, which means practices during the week and dinners have had to be fast and nothing too fancy. So this weekend I really wanted to cook something hearty, healthy, and comforting.

At Pat's request, I cooked STUFFED PEPPERS. This is one of his favorites, and to be honest, I am not sure where this recipe came from. It is the way my Mom made peppers, so I took her recipe and added a couple extra ingredients.

Here is the recipe for my foody friends who like to try new things.

Just a fair warning though....I am one of those that does not measure when I cook, so I had to guesstimate this for you:)

Ingredients:

8 Peppers Red, Green, Yellow, or Orange{I like to use an assortment of colors, it looks so pretty when you serve it}
2 pounds of ground turkey or ground beef{I use turkey}
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2-3 Carrots, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
Fresh Basil
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil{About 2 TBSP}
1 bag of frozen corn
1 Box of Rice{I love to use Abrorio Rice, but you can use anything that you prefer}
4 15oz cans of Tomoto Sauce
Cheese- Grated Pecorino Ramono or Shredded Mozzarella...or both:)

Directions:

Make the rice according to the directions on the box and put aside

Take all of the peppers except for one and slice off the top portion, wash and clean out the insides. Then I put the peppers on a tray standing upright and put them in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. It starts to steam them a little bit so they are not too raw when they go into the oven.

Chop the onion, carrots, and the remaining pepper and saute in olive oil for about 10minutes. I add a little salt and pepper at this point and then add chopped garlic and stir for another minute of two. Next, I add the ground turkey. Once the turkey is cooked through, I will add 2-3 cans of the tomato sauce. Stir and add the bag of frozen corn. Then I will grab a bunch of basil leaves and tear them up into little pieces and stir those in. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes continuing to stir. Depending on your taste, you might want to add a little more salt and pepper.

Now you should have the rice in one pot and the meat mixture in another. You want to mix the rice into the meat mixture. If it is too dry looking, add a litte more sauce.

Once everything is mixed, you can scoop the mixture into the peppers and place them into a casserole dish. I usually have extra filling, so I fill in the dish all around the peppers. You should have a remaining can of tomato sauce......drizzle it over the top of the peppers. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 Degrees for about 20 minutes. Pull the dish out of the oven and add the cheese of your choice and bake for another 20 minutes.

You will love this one....it is not too hard and it is perfect for entertaining....each person gets their own pepper. Serve it with a nice salad, some crusty bread, a great bottle of red wine, and your meal is complete.

My family likes this so much I usually double the recipe and put some away in the freezer......they store really well and make great leftovers.


Since we are talking about things that are stuffed, I had to include this picture of Sarah. Friday around dinner time, she snuck into the candy jar{which she had to climb up onto the counter to reach} and quickly "Stuffed" two pieces of chocolate into her mouth at once........thinking she got away with it.

Little did she know, Mom not only has eyes in the back of her head....she has a lens permanantly attached to her face

She was guilty as charged and looking mighty proud of it!!