Bringing it back with STUFFED BELL PEPPERS!

Well, that was a mighty fine blogless vacation. I could update the last year, but no one REALLY wants to read all that, so instead, I give you my "recipe" for Stuffed Bell Peppers :)

Because I don't measure, everything is approximate. I also try to cook as healthy as possible, so LOTS of veggies! Feel free to adjust, omit, or add to your liking.


Ingredient List:

• 6-8 green bell peppers
  
• 2 pounds ground turkey (or beef)
  
• 1 small or 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, washed & grated (like cheese!)
• 1 medium zucchini, peeled & grated
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
• Mushrooms, sliced (canned or fresh)
  
• 1 cup uncooked brown (or white) rice, cooked according to package directions
• 1 can diced tomatoes (I use the flavored onion/garlic kind)
• 1-2 small cans tomato sauce
• Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• Shredded cheddar cheese
  

- Start by throwing a LARGE pot of water on to boil, you'll need this in a bit! AND preheat the oven to 400*F. Now, cut the tops off of your peppers and scrape out all the guts. Rinse away the seeds hiding inside.

- Then, begin browning the meat with all the veggies (minus tomatoes) in a large, deep frying pan. I season with pepper, garlic salt, and a bit of creole seasoning, because I put creole seasoning in just about EVERYTHING.

- Once browned, add in the can of diced tomatoes with juice and one can of tomato sauce, sprinkle in some Italian seasoning, stir it all up and put on simmer and cover.

- By now your water should be boiling like craaazzzyyyy. So, use some tongs to add the peppers to the boiling water. Make sure to turn them sideways so that they fill up with water instead of floating around. Boil them for 5 minutes. Use the tongs to remove the peppers, being sure to dump out all of the water inside. Place in an ungreased glass baking dish.

- Back to the pepper stuffin's.. It's now time to add your rice along with 1/4 cup of Italian bread crumbs. If the mixture looks too dry for you, feel free to add a little more tomato sauce. Mix it up well and begin stuffing your peppers, giving each one a little mound right on top. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

-After 20 minutes, add shredded cheese to the top of each pepper with a layer of shredded cheese and a sprinkle of bread crumbs. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and starts to brown.

Remove and ENJOY! These babies are amazing! If you try them, let me know what your family thought about them :)