Here on Mondays on our At Home w/GCH blog we usually focus on recipes that are healthy but oh-so-yummy!  We have been making some very yummy dishes using in-season veggies; and this week will be our last one—Stuffed Peppers.  I actually consider this week’s recipe a nice bridge into the fall as it is such a comfort food dish!  Have you ever made Stuffed Peppers on the stovetop instead of in the oven?  That is how we are doing it this week.  Get yourself some nice firm large green bell peppers…maybe from the Farmers Market, and let’s get started.  Enjoy!

Stove Top Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1/2 tablespoon butter 
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth

4 large green bell peppers
1# ground chicken (or turkey or beef)
1/2# raw chicken sausage
1 large egg
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 (or more) tablespoons chopped garlic
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
Shredded cheese, or grated Parmesan (optional)

Directions:

• In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the raw rice, and saute, stirring constantly for one minute.  Carefully add in the liquids and bring quickly to a boil.  Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and let cook (approximately 15 minutes) ‘til all liquid is absorbed.  Empty the cooked rice out onto a plate or pan, and allow to cool.
• While the rice is cooking, take a large dutch oven (I used an 8 quart pan) and place your peppers in to make sure they fit sitting upright. Once you have the right sized pan, fill 3/4 with water, cover and bring to a boil.  Cut the lids from the peppers (perhaps save the lids to cut up into a salad) and clean them out.  When the water is boiling, put the peppers in for 5-7 minutes depending on how large they are to parboil them.  Carefully remove from the water, and drain upside down.
• Empty the pot of water, and place back on stove over low heat.  Add the crushed tomatoes, the broth and the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped garlic; bring to a simmer.
• Meantime, in a large bowl, break up the eggs and add the chopped garlic and the meat; generously season with the salt and pepper; mix thoroughly.  Stir in about half of the cooled rice (save the rest to serve alongside the stuffed peppers).
• Now to fill the peppers: just before you fill the parboiled peppers, use a knife tip to poke a hole into each of the “bumps” on the pepper bottoms.  This will allow the sauce to ooze up into the peppers while simmering.  Scoop up some of the meat/rice mixture.  Fill them firmly but don’t really pack it down; if you do, it will be too dense when cooked.  Carefully ease the filled peppers–right side up–into the heated tomato sauce.  Take care to sit them up so they won’t fall over…spilling out the meat.
• Using a large spoon or gravy ladle, scoop up some tomato sauce and pour over each of the filled peppers totally covering the meat.  Increase the heat so that the sauce begins to boil, place a lid on the pot and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Every 10 minutes or so, again pour a little sauce over the top of each pepper, replacing the lid on the pot.  They should be done in 45 minutes or less, depending on their size.  The meat in the stuffed peppers should be firm when done.  I use a thermometer to verify that they have reached at least 160 degrees, just to be safe.
• Oh, and add some of the leftover delicious tomato sauce to the rice you set aside; serve that along with the Stuffed Peppers!  Yummy!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen