Gimme back my purse!!!!!!!

Yesterday afternoon found me scrounging around our fridge looking for something to make for supper.  I had three big peppers that needed to be used so I decided on stuffed peppers, one of my favorites as a kid.  However if you look up recipes on the internet for stuffed peppers it usually calls for the same things.

Beef, rice, tomato paste, ketchup, cheese. 

YUCK.  

I decided to make up my own version of this dinner with what I had on hand and sounded good to my family's taste.

Crystal's Stuffed Peppers

• 3 peppers (although I probably could have used 4)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 c cooked rice
• 1 leek diced and washed thoroughly
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 carrot grated
• 2 ribs celery diced
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes (I used the basil oregeno garlic flavored one)
• 12 oz Spaghetti Sauce (this will be about 1/2 a regular sized jar)
• Italian seasoning and pepper to taste 

 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350
2. Cut peppers in half length way.  Clean all the seeds and ribs out of the peppers.  Lay flat in a baking dish.
3. Brown ground beef.  Drain excess fat and set aside in a mixing bowl.
4. Saute the chopped leeks for about 4 minutes in a little bit of oil, (I use olive oil.)  Add the garlic and saute for about 3 minutes more.  Add to the ground beef.
5. Add rice, carrots, celery, sauce and can of tomatoes (juice included) into the beef/onion mix and stir until mixed thoroughly.
6. Add Italian seasoning and pepper to taste.  I probably added around a tablespoon of the Italian seasoning.  (If I am making up a recipe I will usually just add a little and them smell.  If it smells good it will taste good.) 
7. Take your mixture and stuff the peppers well.  If you push it down inside the peppers and use a tablespoon you will be able to have a nice round mound on top of each pepper and no mix leftover.
8. Bake, uncovered, for around 45 minutes.

If you like your peppers softer you can leave them in the oven for an hour.  My family likes to have them still a bit crisp!

This morning the kids have baffled me.  They keep fighting over this purse.  I have no idea why it is such prime real estate in play land today, but man oh man, they have been going at it.  (The purse is now in hiding.)

I hope everybody is enjoying this beautiful bleary Tuesday morning!  It is perfect Radiohead  and coffee weather!