mr says my taste buds are dead.

I've been wanting to try stuffed peppers for a while now - not sure why, it just seemed like it was something I should attempt at least once.  So, when I was browsing online for some budget-friendly meals and noticed this recipe for stuffed peppers, I knew I'd landed on a Yummy Monday dinner.  Apparently, stuffed peppers are an American Standard.  I had no idea.  When you think American food what do you think?  Hamburgers, of course.  Hot dogs, too.  Apple pie.  (duh.)  Stuffed peppers.  What??  Yeah, well, I read it on the internet so it must be true.


The only change I made was using red, orange and yellow peppers instead of green.  Here's the recipe:


Stuffed Bell Peppers
6 green bell peppers

• salt to taste
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
• water as needed
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.  In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour over the peppers.  Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

I was pretty happy with the outcome.  They seemed all a stuffed pepper should be - stuffed, cheesy and peppery.  mr is not a fan of bell peppers (what a weirdo, right?) so he was kind of indifferent to dinner this time, but my parents really liked it.  Three to one - the yea's have it.


I decided to make a side dish mr's been craving nonstop lately, his Aunt's bean salsa.  I do add a dash of this and that, so although it has been posted on this blog before, I thought I'd repost with my additions.


Bean Salsa
1 can chopped green chilis

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can corn (drained)

about 6 chopped green onions (whites and crispy parts of greens)

1/2 bunch of cilantro

1 chopped red bell pepper

5 tomatoes (chopped well)

lime juice (to taste)

2 Cloves garlic, crushed

salt and pepper (to taste)

garlic salt (To taste)

Onion powder (To taste)

Teeny bit of cumin

Mix it all up together in a big bowl.  Chill a bit before serving.  It’s great on chips.

And as usual, we all thought this was delish.  It's the kind of salsa that can really be a meal in itself.  Honestly.


Dessert was leftover this, so I have nothing new to show you.  Is that lame?  Probably. 


Let's see.  Do I have something else I can give you?  Ooo, ooo, how about this?

I know, nothing to do with dessert, but she is hilariously adorable, right?


Happy Monday!




PS. New to the shop tonight:

Don't forget!  Our grand opening sale is going on now!  Every item in the shop is currently 40% off!  Just use promo code 1grandopening.  

*Be sure to check just below for all the fun parties I link to!