Just Call Me Sandra Lee!...Wait, NO , PLEASE don't call me that??!!

Don’t we all wish that we didn’t have REAL jobs, that we had organic farmers markets around the corner…and that we all have the time (& money) to make new, and creative dishes every night?

Well…I certainly do not have those luxuries, so I occasionally find my self cooking “semi-homeade” meals. (please stop throwing things at me!!) I try to always use the freshest ingredients in everything that I cook…but sometimes it just ain’t gonna’ happen!!

So…here is a go to meal that I make quite often, especially when it is raining and I can't get to the grill! Peppers stuffed with spicey goodness is sure to warm up these cold nights, it won’t empty your wallet, and is quick to table!

We had the peppers with boiled cabbage...not a great picture, but it was DELISH!! Did someone say CABBAGE??? YUMMMM

Stuffed Peppers

From the Pantry:
10 Roma tomatoes
2 cloves of Garlic minced
1 onion diced
1 box of Dirty Rice Mix (I use Tony’s)
1 lb ground Beef (try using ½ beef and ½ Turkey for a lighter fare)
1 lb grated Sharp Cheddar cheese
***ok…nevermind the Turkey- there’s a lb of cheese here!! Kinda like ordering a diet coke with your whopper***
5 Bell Peppers of assorted color (‘cause is festive!!)
1 tbsp Olive oil

Here we go:

1. Using a pairing knife carefully slit the tomatoe skin around the tomatoe's circumfrence...trying not to cut into the meat.Boil the tomatoes for a few mintutes until you see the skins pulling away from the meat. Drain the tomatoes and let cool.

2. Once the tomatoes are cool to the touch, peel off the skins and discard. Cut tomatoes in half, discard seeds, and dice.

3. Warm the olive oil in a saute pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the diced onion, and let sweat until onion begin to appear transparent. Add garlic and gound beef and saute until the beef in browned. Be careful not to burn the garlic- you may need to turn the heat down a little!

4. Drain the fat off of the saute pan, and add the diced tomatose and the dirty rice mix. Cook per the directions given on the dirty rice box.

5. Cutt the caps off of the bell peppers, and clean thoroughly. Be sure there are no seeds left inside. Once the rice mix is finished, stuff the peppers and place in a cassarole dish. Any of the extra rixe mix can be placed in the dish itself to help stabalize the peppers as they cook.

6. Top with grated cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Now enjoy this yummy goodness!! You can take all the credit..I swear I won't tell anyone where you got the recipe!!

I love using the different colors!! I cannot wait to grow my own this summer!!

Here are the beautiful tomato skins before they were trashed!! I HAD to take a quick pic...too purty!!

Tell me what you think if you try it!! P.S. My spell check will not work,,,so please forgive me. :)

-Katie