Stuffed Green Peppers

I'm trying my hand at gardening this year. I've never had a stuffed pepper, so I thought I'd try my hand at that too. I was pleased with how it turned out! Pardon the presentation--these were plated up quickly! I'm sure you could reserve the pepper tops and make these into a pretty dish.

6 large green bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds out.
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 cup plain cooked brown rice. (I used leftovers in the fridge from stir-fry)
1/2 onion, diced
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
3 TBsp Parmesan cheese
2 TBsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
---please note if you have an Italian seasoning blend, just add 2-3 tsp of it instead of the above 4 ingredients. I had run out so I improvised.-----
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt

Garnish
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 roma tomatoes, sliced "pretty"

Brown beef over medium heat in a large skillet or wok. While it browns, boil a large pan of salted water. Once it boils, add all the cleaned out peppers at once and submurge them. Let boil on a hard boil for about 6 minutes, then remove from water and set aside into a deep baking dish.

Once beef is browned, add in onions and let them cook for 2 minutes while stirring frequently. Add the rice, tomatoes, sauce, paste and seasonings along with a cup of water. Let it simmer, adding more water as necessary to reach your desired sauce thickness. Taste! My seasonings are approximations--you may decide it needs more something.

Stuff the peppers to the top with the meat/rice sauce. I had leftover sauce that I served on the side if anyone wanted more stuffing with their pepper. Cover deep dish and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Remove foil/cover and bake for another 10 minutes.  *PLEASE NOTE* My cooktimes were for stuffed peppers that had been refrigerated for a few hours before baking.  Your cook time may need to be adjusted if your sauce and peppers are already hot.*

Add cheddar cheese to the top of each pepper and bake until melted smooth. Ready to serve with a few slices of fresh cold tomatoes!

Potato Soup Shortcut

When it's the end of the "grocery" week but I didn't have time to make it to the store, I improved this soup.  It is a great use for leftover produce.  The additions I would make would be some peeled chopped potatoes and pieces of ham if I had them on hand, but it turned out fine without them.  We ate ours over sourdough bread.  There's probably enough to feed about 4 people here.

Throw the following into a crock-pot on High for a few hours:

1 1/4 cup potato flakes
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup milk
4 cups water (I'm not sure on this amount, but you can adjust to the thickness you like.  Mine was pretty thin, but I was scared it would taste more like mashed potatoes instead of soup.)
1 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped carrots
2/3 cup chopped brocolli
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup cheddar cheese
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black ground pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chives
a few dashes of bacon bits. (If I had ham I would use it instead)

Corn and Bean Veggie Salsa

Just try it. You won't regret! I am thisclose to a money-back-guarantee.

1 can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced into small pieces
1 green pepper, diced into small pieces
1 green onion, diced
1/8 cup yellow onion, diced into small pieces
1 ripe avocado, diced into small pieces
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, diced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup Italian dressing

Throw it all into a bowl and toss. Add salt and Italian dressing to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

The Breakfast Skillet

I call this "The Breakfast Skillet" because you will use lots of skillets to make it! It's a pretty heavy meal- I mostly make it for dinner or rare special occasion breakfasts.

Below, I will list the ingredients I typically use without quantities...mostly because it doesn't matter how much you put in. If you like to eat a tomato like an apple...put in lots! If you like to eat an onion like an apple...please take a picture and email it to me (and also put in lots). I like to do this when I've got extra fresh produce and leftover ham/other breakfast meats I need to use.

Choose your meat (or combine!)

Diced ham

bacon

Sausage

Choose your veggies (I use everything I have)

Green pepper

Onion

Mushrooms

Tomatoes

Hashbrowns or tater tots

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Eggs

Cheddar cheese

Start with your potatoes--they usually take the longest. Either bake or fry them until done. While waiting for them to brown, begin to sautee veggies in one skillet. Once you get those going, heat meat in another skillet. When everything is about done, cook your eggs your favorite way.

When potatoes are finished, top or mix with cream of mushroom and veggies. When I make this for 2-3 people I usually use half a can COM total.

Top with meat, then egg, then cover with cheese. Serve with ketchup.

Enjoy the meal......then get hubby to do all those dishes!