Stuffed Green Peppers

 When you visit a Farmer's Market in our neck of the woods, this time of the year, the selection is amazing!

 The enormous green peppers immediately caught my eye and I couldn't resist purchasing them. 

 Stuffed pepper ideas began to stream through my mind...

This is what I came up with and we will file this recipe in the g0-to section.

Stuffed Green Peppers:

1 cup cooked rice

1/3 cup diced onions

1 clove garlic, diced

1 pound ground chuck

Ketchup

Brown sugar

Salsa

Dried cherries

Green onions

Shredded cheese

While the rice was cooking, I sauteed the onions and garlic in olive oil.  I then added the ground chuck and cooked until done. 

I then added about 3/4 of the cooked rice to the mixture.  

Then, using the ketchup and salsa, I added enough to create a moist mixture.  Add brown sugar to taste, mixing well.

Add dried cherries to taste and cook long enough for the cherries to plump a bit.

Cut the tops off the peppers, wash and dry well.  Fill peppers with rice mixture and place in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Upon removing peppers from oven, immediately shred some cheese on top and sprinkle with sliced green onions.

I always line my baking dish with aluminum foil to make clean-up easier.

Also, I do not blanch the peppers and I find they keep their shape during the baking process.

~Enjoy~

Stuffed Green Peppers

Don't you just love fall, when the Farmer's Markets are overflowing with fresh produce?  The only fruit missing this year is the beloved' peach...the crop fell victim to the freezing temperatures earlier in the season.  The green peppers are abundant and we enjoyed them recently in a new recipe...I say recipe but I didn't follow one, instead just went about adding good ingredients!

I read, recently, in a magazine that you don't have to blanch the peppers before adding the stuffing...trust me, please, this is true!!!  The peppers stay a more brilliant color of green and there is a hint of crunch!

I began by cleaning the peppers, cutting off and chopping the tops.  I cooked one cup of rice and while that was cooking I placed a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large frying pan.  To the oil, I added chopped onion (1/2 of a large), the chopped green pepper, two large tablespoons of garlic and freshly ground pepper...cook over low to medium heat until nearly done.  Then add desired amount of ground chuck (I used about a pound and a half).  Continue cooking until meat is done...drain any grease.  Proceed to add cooked rice, I didn't use the entire amount.  Now is the interesting ingredient...Cherry Republic's Cherry Salsa, I used the small jar.  Then in went two heaping tablespoons of Roadhouse Salsa and cooked for a few minutes.  Upon tasting I decided to add a little ketchup and a bit of brown sugar.
Now, fill the peppers and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes.
When removed from oven, grate fresh parmesan cheese over tops of peppers and sprinkle with fresh green onions.

Enjoy~