Pick-a-Peck of Peppers
DIFFERENT IS GOOD !!
Have you ever done something a certain way, been doing it for years and years and years. You think of it as the norm, then find out that most everyone you know does it way different. NOT ONLY DO THEY ALL DO IT DIFFERENTLY FROM YOU, THEY DO IT ALL THE SAME WAY. That makes you the odd man out.
ODD MAN OUT !!
Nobody wants to be the odd man out. The one sitting on the sidelines, watching all the action. You want to be the one out there in the middle of all the fun. You want to be one of the cool kids. I was not much of a cool kid. I was the chubby girl, still am. Yep, bet you didn't know that. I am a plus size woman, I am not ashamed. I am loved, respected, and have a ton of friends. Friends who love me for me. or maybe it is for my cooking. Oh, well either they LOVE ME !! And many times I am still the odd man out, like when I cook, stuffed peppers.
RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, & GREEN !!
No, I am not drawing a rainbow, not that I wouldn't for you, I am cooking with bell peppers. One of my go to veggies, that is in every meal I make. I slice them, I dice them, chop, and grate, but one of my favorite ways to cook with peppers is to stuff them. It was not until this last summer that I even realized that the way I make stuffed peppers is different, way different from everyone else. But, Different Is Good, or in this case D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S !! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention a lot easier too. No parboiling the peppers, no frying up the meat in another pan and then putting it all into yet another dish to bake. 1 bowl and 1 baking pan, maybe 2 if you double to freeze one.
STUFFED PEPPERS Click for printer friendly version
4 large bell peppers (any color or multi colors)
2 lbs ground meat
1 egg, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup water & another 1/4 cup milk, water, or broth (I use milk)
4 or 5 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cut diced bell pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp seasoning salt
1 tbsp black pepper
Pre-heat oven to 350°.
Slice each pepper in half, top to bottom not across the middle, scoop out seeds and remove membrane, and stem., try to keep pepper intact as much as possible. Lay cut side up in a baking dished lined with foil or parchment paper. Makes clean up so much easier. Set aside.
Mix egg, breadcrumbs, milk, Worcestershire,ketchup, veggies, & spices together in a bowl add in ground meat. I use Nebraska corn fed beef, but you can use the ground meat of your choice. Mix until just incorporated together.
You have 8 pepper halves so you need to divide your meat into eight portions. Stuff each pepper with the mixture, make sure to get in all the nooks and crannies. Add the other 1/4 cup water to the bottom of baking dish
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and add a topping if you wish, bbq sauce, ketchup, salsa, spaghetti sauce and or cheese. Add a salad and a fruit and you have a great meal.
Change up the flavor:
Mexican Peppers: Mix a packet of taco seasoning into the egg mixture instead, along with some jalapenos (hot) or a can of green chilies(mild), top with salsa and cheese.
Italian Peppers: Mix a packet of spaghetti sauce mix into the mix along with shredded mozzarella cheese, top with marinara and more cheese.
FREEZER MEAL:
This meal is easy to adapt into a freezer meal. If there are just 2 of you take 1/2 of the peppers and freeze them.
This dish can be frozen either before or after cooking. It depends on how you want to use them the next time you eat them. If it is something that you want for lunches, cook them now then when cooled package individually, or put uncooked peppers in gallon freezer bag or a disposable baking dish, label and write down cooking directions and pop in the freezer for later.
If there are more than 2 people on your family, double the recipe and follow freezing instructions. I froze this whole pan, because we received an invitation for dinner with some friends. So now I have two 1 gallon bags with 6 peppers each in them.
These pans are great for freezer meals or anytime you have to take a dish somewhere, because you do not have to worry about getting your good cookware back. I buy them in bulk and they have lids.
CONFESSION !!
I always double, sometimes triple this recipe so that I have a meal or 2 in the freezer for those night when I do not want to stand at the stove. This is also a great meal that someone else can just pop in the oven if you are running late.
God Bless & Enjoy !!
Tyra