Twisted Inside-Out Stuffed Peppers

I seem to be on an inside-out quest these days, with inside-out cabbage rolls and now this delicious inside-out stuffed pepper dish. Since I only had 2 good-sized peppers - a yellow and an orange pepper -  on  hand but wanted to make an economical, diet-friendly dish that would last several meals, this just seemed to make sense. The flavors of the ingredients were simmered to delectable perfection and the dish turned out delicious. I do love 'one pan dinners!' So here is my secret to the "perfect," easier to prepare 

[Yes, these are the left-overs since we devoured dinner before I could take photos - oops]

Twisted Inside-Out Stuffed Peppers.

                                            

 Ingredients

• One lb lean ground beef - 80% lean or so
• 3/4 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 yellow and one orange bell pepper (or green or red), coarsely chopped
• Combined 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic salt, pinch of pepper and dash of salt
• 1 24-oz jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 c. cooked white or brown rice 
• 1 c combo of sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese (or whatever you have at home)

Preparation

1. Cook rice as directed on package. Remove from heat and cover.
2. Place 1 tbsp oil into large skillet or saucepan. Add ground beef, onion and seasoning. Cook over med-high heat, stirring often, until ground beef is brown - about 10 minutes. Add peppers to the mixture and stir for another 10 minutes or so, until the beef is crumbly and onions are translucent. With lean beef you shouldn't have to drain off any fat.
3. Pour jar of sauce over the top, place water in jar and swirl, pouring into pan to use up the last of the sauce in the jar. Stir, then reduce heat to let mixture simmer after  it reaches a gentle boil. Simmer, stirring often, for approximately 10 minutes to blend flavors and heat sauce.
4. Add rice and stir thoroughly, simmering for an additional 5 minutes until thoroughly heated and all ingredients are combined.
5. Grate cheese and sprinkle on top while the mixture is simmering, then turn off heat. The cheese will melt into gooey deliciousness on top.
6. Let sit five minutes, then serve in bowls or plates with sides. Refrigerate left-overs as soon as slightly cooled.
7. This will serve 6-8 hungry people and may be accompanied with a green salad, breadsticks or rolls if desired.

This is what it looks like when hungry critters smell the concoction cooking :) I won't post a photo of what we looked like it eating it. It might be embarrassing.

 

Stuffed Sweet Peppers for the Slow-Cooker

I love slow-cooker meals. There's something comforting in knowing that a meal is cooking with a minimum of fuss and bother, for you to enjoy when it's ready to eat. It's almost like having someone else cook a meal for you. Here is one of my favorites, originally found in a Taste of Home cookbook:

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Ingredients

• 6 medium sweet peppers - 2 red, 2 green, 2 yellow
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (approx. 14 to 16 oz) divided
• 1 lb bulk uncooked Italian sausage - turkey or other
• 1 c uncooked instant rice
• 1/2 c crumbled feta or blue cheese, or shredded mozzarella or cheddar if preferred
• 1/2 c chopped onions
• 1/2 c chopped tomato (preferably Romas)
• 1/4 c parsley (fresh, minced) or 2 tbsp dried
• 2 tbsp ripe olives
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

1. Cut tops off peppers. Chop tops and set aside.
2. Discard stems and seeds and set pepper cups aside
3. Reserve approx 3/4 - 1 c spaghetti sauce. Pour remaining sauce into a slow cooker
4. Combine sausage, rice, cheese, onion, tomato, parsley, olives, garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and reserved chopped peppers and spaghetti sauce
5. Spoon mixture into pepper cups; place in slow cooker.
6. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, until peppers are tender and meat is cooked.

Yield: 6 servings.