stuffed bell peppers

I love cooking. I truly enjoy trying new foods, and making something from beginning to end without using the microwave (hehe). I like to try new recipes, but on the flipside... I don't always measure to the exact, or I add a little this or that. And sometimes I just make up my own dinner with what I got going in the fridge. 

Stuffed bell peppers is kinda a morphed recipe. I made them once (a long time ago) from a recipe and found it so complex yet so stressful that the next time I sorta 'winged it' and got lucky that it turned out edible. Now, I pretty much know what I like, what my family likes and we go with it. While my kids love the 'stuffed' part and not so much the 'bell pepper' part, this is what I do. I make a ton of the 'stuffed' part, save it for burritos or tacos, or just serve it up in a bowl. For the adults, I make 4 stuffed bell peppers (I can only eat half of one) so that we have leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. (Smart, right? lol) Okay... onto the quote-unquote recipe...

Stuffed Bell Peppers, Jen-style

-- 1.5 pounds ground turkey (I prefer organic)

-- 2 cups cooked brown rice (I prefer long grain)

-- 1 onion, chopped

-- 2 garlic cloves, minced

-- 6 red bell peppers

--1 tbsp oil (olive or coconut)

-- 2 tsp cayenne pepper

-- 2 tsp oregano

-- 2 tsp basil

-- sea salt (to taste)

-- ground pepper

-- 1/2 cup cheese (I prefer fresh Parmesan Reggiano)

**optional add-ins**

-- sweet potatoes (chopped and roasted)

-- spinach (chopped)

-- corn (roasted and cut off the cob)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2.  Chop tops and remove seeds and veins from 4 bell peppers. Chop the other 2 bell peppers.

3.  Stick 4 empty bell peppers in cooking dish and in oven (to soften).

4.  Heat oil in pan, add garlic.

5.  Add ground turkey and cook thoroughly.

6.  Season meat with cayenne pepper, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.

 7.  Add onions and red bell peppers and cook down. 

8.  Add cooled brown rice and mix up. (Add optional ingredients at this point to).

9.  Stuff bell peppers with mix. Top with cheese.

10. Bake in oven approx. 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Some notes.... 

*My kids don't like all the add-ins. So I make everything together until I add the rice. Then I separate it into the 'kid mix' and then add in all the yummies for the 'adult mix'. 

*I always have sweet potatoes chopped and roasted on hand. (It's sort of a staple for me). Add them in for extra fiber and a lil' sweetness. 

*I also always have fresh spinach in the fridge. Like mom always said, 'eat your greens'. I like the color pop of spinach, but the added vitamins and nutrients are so good for your body.

*Rice takes for-ev-er to cook, especially long grain brown rice. I usually make 2-4 cups on 'prep day' (Sunday) and keep it in the refrigerator. It's a great whole grain (the good carbs, people) and it helps to extend a meal (helping the pocketbook). 

*Speaking of 'prep day'... I usually like to prep all my veggies the day I buy them. I'll post the details later.

*You can add absolutely anything to your stuffed bell peppers. If you prefer ground beef, or adding ground sausage go for it. If you want to add in crispy bacon (turkey bacon in my house) then do it to it. It's your dinner for you and your family. That's kinda what I do to recipes. Take them and specify them to me and my family (not always, but most of the time). 

I hope you make these. They are yum, and a staple in our house. Thanks for letting me share!