Stuffed Bell Peppers {Updated}

My mom always made these growing up, but I think the recipe came from my grandma, Mimi. When the other colors of peppers are on sale, I sometimes use the orange, yellow, or red ones. Get nice big peppers for this recipe!

Stuffed Bell Peppers
3-4 large bell peppers
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1/2 med. onion, chopped
1 can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
salt & pepper
1 1/2 c. grated cheese
2 c. cooked rice
Cut peppers in half and remove membranes and seeds. Blanch in boiling water about 5 minutes, remove from water, drain on paper towels, and salt insides of peppers lightly. Meanwhile, brown meat and onions, drain. Mix in tomato sauce and season to taste w/ salt & pepper. Mix in rice and 1 c. cheese. Fill peppers with mixture, place in baking dish, and top w/ remaining cheese. (I always have extra filling, so I put it in a small dish to bake for the little ones who don't like peppers). Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Barley Jambalaya

I got this recipe at a healthy cooking class Dustin and I took together back at CSU. It is easy, flavorful, and healthy since it is chock full of veggies and uses whole grain barley instead of white rice. Make sure to decrease the amount of cayenne if you don't like things too spicy, as it is pretty hot as is. The kids can't handle it, and it's even a bit much for me. So half the cayenne if you think you need to.

Barley Jambalaya

2 bay leaves

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (decrease if you like things milder)

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp thyme

1 tb canola oil

1 c turkey ham or turkey sausage (I use turkey polska kielbasa), sliced

1 1/2 c onion, diced

1 c celery, sliced

1 c green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz canned tomatoes, diced, with sauce

5 c water or broth

2 c barley, uncooked

leftover cooked chicken, optional (I never use this)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together 1st 6 ingredients (spices) and set aside. Heat oil in large oven-proof saucepot or dutch oven. Cook onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and meats for 5-10 minutes, stirring. Add tomatoes, water or broth and barley. Mix and bring to boil, stirring often. Add spices and any leftover chicken, stir, and cover. Place in oven and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until almost all liquid is absorbed. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serves 6.

Caramelized Onion & Bleu Cheese Burgers

I found the recipe for this delicious burger on The Pioneer Woman Cooks and slightly adapted it for us. It's a nice change from your ordinary cheeseburger!

Caramelized Onion & Bleu Cheese Burgers
1 lb. ground turkey (or beef)
salt & pepper
Tabasco sauce
2 tb. butter
1 onion, thinly sliced (she uses red, I used white b/c that's what I had)
2 tb. brown sugar
1/2 c. bleu cheese, crumbled
mayonnaise
4 hearty, crusty buns (no pansy soft ones!)
Fresh salad greens

First, melt butter in a skillet. Stir onions and brown sugar in, saute on low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft and caramelized. Next, mix your meat with 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and a few shakes of Tabasco. Form into 4 patties (Pioneer Woman makes one huge burger, but that's a bit much for me, so I made 4 normal-sized ones). Grill or fry in skillet on both sides for several minutes, until no longer pink in center. Meanwhile, brush some more butter on a skillet and brown cut sides of buns for a few minutes. Mix about 1/2 c. mayo with a few shakes Tabasco, spread thinly on both sides of buns. Top burgers with a pile of onions and a sprinkle of bleu cheese. Place on bottom bun, top with greens and top bun, and enjoy!

Glazed Italian Meatloaf

My mom taught me how to make meatloaf, and I have changed some things over the years to suit my tastes, but the glaze is still all hers. It is SO good! I serve it with either baked or mashed potatoes and green beans.

Glazed Italian Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground turkey (or beef if you prefer)

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

1 large egg

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 c. Italian breadcrumbs, oats or almond meal

Mix all ingredients together. Pat into a large loaf pan. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (depending on your oven). Mix glaze ingredients in a bowl: 1/2 c. ketchup and 1/3 c. brown sugar. Pour grease out of pan, pour glaze over meatloaf and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Turkey Avocado Wraps

I love to serve these in the warm months. They are quick, easy and delicious. I serve them with a simple fruit salad.

Turkey Avocado Wraps

4 large flour tortillas

12 slices deli turkey

grated cheese

alfalfa sprouts

1 avocado, mashed

1/4 c. ranch dressing

1 tomato, thinly sliced (optional)

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced (optional)

Mix mashed avocado and ranch dressing. Spread evenly on 4 tortillas. Layer tortillas with turkey, sprouts, cheese, and tomato & cucumber, if desired. Roll tightly, cut in half on diagonal. Serve with fresh fruit salad.

California Club Croissants & Cucumber Salad

I just love these sandwiches. They are so easy and delicious! I usually make them in the summer, but I needed a change so I made them a few weeks ago. The cucumber salad is really yummy, too, and makes an easy side dish for sandwiches or burgers.

California Club Croissants

4 deli croissants, large size

12 slices deli turkey

4 slices deli cheese (I like muenster, havarti or provolone)

1 avocado, sliced into 12 slices

Cut croissants in half. On bottom of each croissant layer 3 slices turkey, 1 slice cheese, and 3 slices avocado. Top with other half of croissant. Eat cold, or microwave for about 30 seconds each to melt cheese (we like it this way). I serve them with cucumber salad and fresh fruit salad.

Cucumber Salad

1 large cucumber

onion salt

mayonnaise

real bacon bits, optional

Peel cucumber. Slice into thin slices. In bowl, sprinkle with onion salt to taste. Let sit for 1/2 hour or longer (cucumber should soften a bit, and there should be liquid in the bowl). Drain off excess liquid, add enough mayo to coat and bacon bits, if desired. Serve cold. You can add more cucumbers to make enough for a picnic or potluck. You can also add sliced tomatoes if desired, I do this only in the summer when I have good garden tomatoes.

Allspice Meatball Stew

This is a recipe my mom made for us when we were visiting last winter. It is so easy and delicious!

Allspice Meatball Stew

1 lb. frozen meatballs

2 cans green beans, drained (the Italian ones are good)

1/2 lb. baby carrots, cut in half

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans (about 4 cups) beef broth

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

cooked rice

Mix all ingredients except rice in large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Serve over rice.