My cousin, Tricia, recently created a recipe for Italian Stuffed Peppers. They looked good to me, but I thought I would miss the tomato sauce that usually tops stuffed peppers. Mr. V and I have made the Betty Crocker stuffed peppers* since college, and we love them; I was a little afraid messing with stuffed peppers might get me kicked out of the house.
The recipe kept talking to me, however, and when I saw these amazing sweet peppers at the farmer's market here in Chattanooga, I could no longer resist the siren's call.
I wanted to try something else this time, too. I've always hated blanching the peppers, then trying to handle them hot, then trying to get them to sit up in a baking dish and covering them with foil. It's a pain in the neck.
So this time I went for the slow cooker, and I am glad that I did! A few hours on high and the peppers were just soft enough without dissolving. The depth of the slow cooker makes it easy to keep the peppers upright. Making stuffed peppers in a crockpot definitely works for me!
Italian Stuffed Peppers with Sausage
adapted from Once a Month Mom
4 sweet bell peppers
1.5 cups cooked rice (I used brown)
6 oz. feta cheese crumbles
.5 lb. ground sausage, cooked and drained of fat
1 cup pizza sauce, divided (or tomato sauce with some basil and oregano stirred in)
salt and pepper
Cut the "lids" off the bell peppers; take out the seeds and veins.
Spray a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or grease the bottom with olive oil. Place peppers, sitting upright, inside.
In a bowl, combine cooked rice, feta, sausage, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup pizza sauce. Spoon gently into peppers until they are full; a little overfull is OK!
Spoon remaining tomato sauce over the tops of the peppers.
Cook on high 3 hours or until peppers are soft (test with a paring knife).
*Does anyone else just LOVE the Betty Crocker Big Red Cookbook
? We have that version, which was out when we got married, and the 70s version I used growing up. Betty is simply the best for easy recipes and directives on how to cook certain vegetables or cuts of meat.Added to the gluten-free parade of recipes at Heavenly Homemakers.
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Yummmmm.
ReplyDeleteWe got one of those peppers last week from the market and it was delicious. I will be getting a few more tomorrow to try out this delicious sounding dish! Thanks for the tip.
Our family always used the big red 70's Betty Crocker too!
ReplyDeleteYum! I've never made stuffed peppers before, but I've always wanted to try. I think the crock pot is a good idea!
ReplyDeleteYes, I LOVE the BC cookbook! I use the old 70's version I found at a garage sale when I was a teenager. My mom has the same version, and I knew I couldn't do without it!
ReplyDeleteHer stuffed pepper recipe is our favorite as well...others just aren't the same. I always follow her microwave directions instead of messing with boiling the peppers and stuff. I don't do much microwave cooking otherwise, but with those it's worth it to avoid the hassle. I'll have to try them in the crockpot when we get some more peppers off our plants!
Thanks for commenting on my blog!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea - it sounds like it would be a lot easier.
I, too, love Betty, but I'm more of a 1950s Picture Cookbook sort of girl. She's got the best basic recipes!
ReplyDelete