Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Peppers

I came across these at the Cookie Rookie, when perusing for easy weeknight meals. Stuffed peppers or ground beef dishes aren't my usual jam but I knew my husband would love them and I wanted to mix things up. I was also drawn to the green chiles and enchilada sauce. As I thought, he did love them & I really enjoyed the change! 

4 large bell peppers
1 lb lean ground beef
1 ounce taco seasoning 
½ onion diced
1 4.5oz can chopped green chiles
1/4 cup Red Enchilada Sauce, Medium
1 to 2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
Sour cream for serving
Cilantro for serving 

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside. In a medium skillet, heat ground beef over medium high heat, crumbling as you cook. If there is extra oil after your beef is fully cooked, drain and return to the heat. Stir in the taco seasoning and stir until well coated. Toss in the onions and allow to cook with the beef. I put the beef to the side of the pan to give the onions some solo time before mixing it all together. Alternatively, feel free to cook onions first, set aside, then put them back in pan with beef. When beef & onions are just about cooked through, stir in the green chiles and enchilada sauce. Turn off heat. Set aside.

Cut the top off each pepper & hollow out the inside; removing ribs and seeds. Place each pepper on the baking sheet. To stuff each pepper, start with several spoonfuls of beef, then cheese, then fill nearly to the top with beef. Top with more cheese. Place the top back on the pepper. Repeat with remaining peppers.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is melty. Serve immediately with sour cream and cilantro.

Baked Cream Corn with Red Bell Peppers & Jalapenos

This recipe comes from the Food Network. I made it alongside some skirt steak for Labor Day weekend and it was a HUGE hit!!!! This was not as rich as one might think and was absolutely perfect! I will definitely be making it for many years to come as it could not be easier. And it's certainly special enough for a holiday side. 

8 ears corn, husked
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 jalapeno peppers diced
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp salt
Pepper
½ to 1 stick salted butter, cut into pieces
 

Preheat over to 350. Slice the corn kernels from the ear in a large bowl. Add peppers, heavy cream, salt, a generous amount of pepper and butter. Mix well. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes. I like to put under broiler for just a couple minutes at the end to brown it a bit.

 

Pro-Power Bowls with Roasted Peppers & Herb Vinaigrette

14 oz can kidney beans

8 oz precooked brown rice

1 lemon

1 shallot

1 oz fresh parsley

4 oz roasted red peppers

1 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Drain and rinse kidney beans. Halve and juice lemon. Peel and mince shallot. Pick and roughly chop parsley. Drain red peppers. Whisk lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp water and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Add the beans, shallots, parsley, peppers and vinaigrette to the cooked brown rice and toss to combine. Makes 2 servings. 

Street Corn Bowls with Black Beans & Fiery Lime Sauce

 8.8 oz precooked brown rice

14 oz can black beans

1 ear of corn

2 mini sweet peppers

1/4 oz fresh cilantro

1 lime

2 tbsp Vegenaise

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Drain & rinse black beans. Cut kernels off the cob. Thinly slice peppers. Pick cilantro leaves from stems. Halve and juice the lime. Add lime juice, Vegenaise, a pinch of cayenne and a pinch of salt to a small bowl. Whisk the fiery lime juice until combined.

Divide the brown rice between 2 bowls. Add beans, corn, peppers & cilantro. Drizzle with lime sauce. 

Brown Rice Pesto Bowls

16 oz brown rice (can use precooked)

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts

1/4 c vegan basil pesto

1/4 c kalamata olives sliced

2 tbsp vegan parmesan

Drain artichoke hearts. Divide brown rice into 2 servings. Add basil pesto and stir to combine. Add artichoke hearts, olives & parmesan. 

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes

Cooking spray for crockpot

4 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4 c melted butter

2 c brown sugar

1/4 c water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

Pinch kosher salt

1 1/2 c marshmallows

1/2 c pecans roughly chopped

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Place sweet potatoes in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla and pinch of salt. Whisk to combine. Pour over potatoes and toss until they are fully coated. Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove top and top with marshmallows and pecans. Reduce heat to low and cover until marshmallows are melted. Serve. 

Make Ahead Gravy for Thanksgiving

I do not like to make gravy after the turkey is done. There is too much going on with guests & getting other things ready. So I started making my gravy prior to the big day & freezing it. Then, on the day of, I can freshen it up with fresh turkey drippings & just warm through.

Courtesy of All Recipes:

6 turkey wings

2 medium onions

Salt, pepper, salt free garlic & herb seasoning 

1 c water

8 c chicken broth

1 cup chopped carrot

1 tsp thyme

3/4 c all purpose flour

2 tbsp butter

Gravy Master

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Arrange a single layer of turkey wings in a large roasting pan. Scatter the onions over the top of the wings. Season with salt, pepper & salt free garlic & herb seasoning or whatever you'd like. Roast in the preheated oven for 1-1/4 hours or until wings are browned.

Place browned wings & onions in a 5 quart stockpot. Add water to roasting pan and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the water from the pan into the stockpot. Stir in 6 cups broth, carrot and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1-1/2 hours.

Remove wings from the pot and place on a cutting board. When the wings are cool, pull off the skin and meat. Discard the skin and save the meat for another use. Strain contents of stockpot through a large strainer into a 3 quart saucepan. Press on the vegetables to extract any remaining liquid. Discard the vegetables and skim the fat off the liquid. Bring the contents of the pot to a gentle boil.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour into the remaining 2 cups chicken broth until smooth. Gradually whisk the flour mixture into the simmering turkey broth; simmer 3-4 minutes or until the gravy has thickened. I also like to add Gravy Master to darken the gravy to a nice deeper brown. Stir in the butter and pepper. This is where I keep tasting and make any adjustments needed. I like to let it cool down and taste again to see if the flavors are melding. Serve immediately or pour into containers and refrigerate or freeze until the big day. Defrost in fridge night before Thanksgiving.