My family tends to eat a lot of rice, so much so that we usually buy a HUGE bag of basmati from COSTCO. I tend to make a whole pot of it so we can make different things with the leftovers. This last week I decided to make stuffed peppers. Super easy and super yummy.
I don't really have a "recipe" for this, I just used what I had and seasoned to taste. I used 3 bell peppers, any color will do, and cut them in half fromTOP to BOTTOM. Then I scooped out the guts and put them in a casserole dish sprayed with non stick spray, just in case.
I wanted to add some extra veggies into the filling so I chopped up a medium onion, about ten mushrooms, some additional bell pepper, and garlic cloves. You can add as much or as little garlic as you would like. I tend to OD on it so I used about 10 cloves. Sorry for the dark pics everyone! I need better lighting in the kitchen.
Once you have all the veggies chopped, saute in a pan with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I added the garlic and bell peppers first then added the onions and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5-10 minutes. Then you can add your ground beef!
The beef and vegetables will release some liquid and that is how we will make our sauce. Once the beef is cooked through, I add one 16 oz. can of diced tomatoes. Then, I add about half of an 8 oz. can of tomato paste. The paste will thicken the sauce up nicely and keep the tomato flavor we want. I season this mixture will garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Again, no exact measurements, but for those that are afraid of eyeballing, start with a tablespoon of the garlic and onion powder and a teaspoon of the Italian. Once everything is cooked through, I'll add about two cups of cooked rice. This can be freshly cooked rice or leftovers from the day before. I also add about one cup of grated parmesan cheese. Fresh parmesan will give you the best flavor but feel free to use Kraft. Taste everything and adjust your seasoning as needed.
Once your filling is complete, it's time to stuff the peppers! Fill with as much as you want, the more the better in my opinion, but who's asking? Once the peppers are stuffed, I top with more sauce. The sauce can be homemade or from a jar, whatever you like. You can also top with some cheese about ten minutes before the peppers are done cooking. I bake mine at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. The peppers will take some time to cook. You can also cover your pan with foil for the first 30 or so, which will help keep the steam in and cook the peppers a little faster. Just remove the foil before putting the cheese on, otherwise the cheese could stick to the foil. And Voila!
What are some things you do with leftovers? What is everyone eating this week?
Yum! Looks delicious!
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