Stuffed Peppers

Wash and cut tops off of bell peppers.  To make pepper sit up correctly you may have to take a small portion off the bottom.

3-6 bell pepper any color

1 lb of ground turkey, hamburger or sausage

1 cup shredded cheese

1 can of corn

1/2 of a purple onion, diced

1 cup of white rice

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dill

1 tsp paprika

2 1/2 cups of water

 1 tbsp olive oil

1 small can of tomato sauce

Turn oven on to 375 degrees.

Add olive oil to skillet over medium heat.  Add rice to olive oil and brown.  Once browned, add 2 1/2 cups of water, cumin, garlic salt, dill and paprika.  Mix thoroughly.  Cover and stir occasionally until all water is absorbed and set aside.  Brown the meat with the onion diced.  On this recipe I actually thought I was setting out ground turkey, but ended up being sausage.  I turned out to be really tasty!  Once meat is browned, add rice mixture, corn (drained) and tomato sauce. 

Now stuff the peppers to the top and place in an oven safe baking dish with pam sprayed on the bottom.  I also added about 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the dish to add some moisture.  Cook for 25 minutes.

Take out of oven and add some shredded cheese to top and place back in oven for an additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Homemade Chili

What is better on a cold day in December than a hot bowl of homemade chili?  Not much!!

1 lb lean beef or ground turkey

3 tbsp homemade taco seasoning go here. (or package of store bought taco seasoning)

1 large green bell pepper chopped

1/2 purple onion finely diced

1 can of corn, drained

1 small cans of mushroom, or fresh

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can of dark kidney beans, drained & rinsed

2 cans diced tomatoes

3 cans of tomato sauce

Brown the meat and add the bell pepper and onion till tender.  Add the taco seasoning to the meat mixture and add 1 cup water and bring to boil.  Next add the remaining ingredients and leave it on low for about 30 minutes.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some cheddar cheese sprinkles.

It's delicious!

Stuffed Croissants

Are you looking for a hearty but quick meal?  Well look no further, it's right here.  Tonight while trying to figure out something to make for dinner, I just started adding things to my pan and this is what I got for dinner.

2 rolls of croissant rolls (8 croissants per roll)

1 lb ground turkey (Beef would work)

6 eggs

1 can chili beans (not chili con carne, just chili beans)

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup shredded cheese

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook turkey until no longer pink.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking till they are tender.  Add the can of chili beans.  Cook for another five minutes then add your eggs directly to the meat mixture.  Cook until eggs are completely cooked.

Open croissant package.  Press together two croissant rolls to make the shape of a rectangle.  Be sure to press firmly on the precut line where the croissants would normally separate.  Let the meat cool slightly before adding it to the top of the rolls.  Add a spoonful of the meat mixture to the center of the rectangle.  Also add some shredded cheese.

Bring both side to center and press dough together and on ends to completely close the roll.

Put in oven for 25 minutes.  Pull out and add some cheese to top and cook on broil for an additional 5 minutes.

These would be great stuffed with just about anything you could think of.  I think next time I'll try them with some sort of fruit and maybe a jelly.

I think they would be fantastic with whatever they are stuffed with.

Meatloaf Minis & Fries

My family and I love meatloaf.  But as much as I love meatloaf, I hate the hour of so that it takes to cook.  With these minis though, the time's cut in half.  Grab you cupcake pan and get to cooking.

1 lb ground turkey

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp seasoning salt

1 tsp bay leaves

1 clove minced garlic

1 tbsp caraway

2 tbsp cocktail sauce

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix all ingredient's together in a bowl.  Generously spray your cupcake pan with Pam.  Fill pan to the top with meat.  If using ground beef do not fill to the top with the meat mixture.  The grease from the beef spills over the side if you overfill.  If using ground turkey, it is very lean and can be filled to the top with the mixture.  Place in oven for 25 minutes.  Brush tops with barbecue sauce the last 5 minutes of cooking.

I have never cooked with Caraway before.  I have actually never even heard of it.  Have you?  This is an amazing spice. It's a very smokey taste, and smells very woodsy.

For Fries

8 potatoes cut length wise

1 tbsp bay leaves

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp steak seasoning

1 tbsp ground cumin

Place all ingredients in large bag with potatoes.  Shake to evenly coat.  Spray cookie sheet with Pam before placing potatoes on sheet.  Cook at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.  If you like more crispy fries, like I do,  place the broiler on for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Homemade Tacos

These are amazing, good for you and oh so fast.  Yummy tacos.  My family and I eat tacos about once a week.  We LOVE them!  Here's my easy recipe for tacos.

What you'll need:

1 lb ground turkey or lean beef

1 can diced tomatoes (not drained)

2 bell peppers

1 can black beans (not drained)

1 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning (see recipe here)

9 corn or flour tortillas

Olive oil

1 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 water

Brown the turkey or beef.  When the meat is almost cooked add the bell pepper chunks.  When the meat is fully cooked add the black beans, canned tomatoes, taco seasoning and water.  Simmer mixture over medium heat for about 20 minutes.  Mixture will seem very watery but all liquid should be absorbed in that 20 or 25 minutes.  If using corn tortillas, heat 1 tsp of olive oil and place one tortilla in pan, warm both sides and place on paper towel.  Cook the remainder of the tortillas.  Add some of the meat mixture and top with cheese.

Serve with a fresh salad and top the salad with a sweet salsa.

It's amazing!!!

Enjoy.