I'm all about working smarter, not harder and this recipe is one of those I think you should have in your back pocket. The thing is, you don't even have to use the exact ingredients I have, you just need to realize that stuffed peppers are a good weeknight go-to.
I hear your thoughts right now. You aren't sure the whole family will love them. My tip? Put in things you know they like, then serve them like you would tacos, with some chips, sour cream, cheese. Maybe you go a route that calls for pita chips and hummus or maybe you just want a big salad along side it like this one with creamy maple dressing that I'm about to start making on repeat.
In this case I opted for a filling of quinoa, mushrooms, chicken sausage, onions and peppers. You could easily do a version with ground beef or turkey or keep them meat free by focusing more on veggies.
Peppers are pretty affordable in bulk and what I like about this recipe is it's something the health conscious parents can enjoy, but the kids can eat it too. Better yet it's all done in the slow cooker so it hangs out while you're at soccer or helping your kids with homework!
Here's what I did. For a meat version you could try these turkey ones from Skinny Taste or opt for the traditional ground beef and tomato with rice version that I remember by grandma making.
I don't have exact measurements for you but here's my tip. Whatever I had left over from this mixture I saved and continued to eat throughout the week for lunch, minus the peppers and maybe with some chips and hot sauce.
The Kitchen Sink:
- Cooked 2 cups of quinoa
- 1 package of chicken sausages, chopped and sauteed
- sauteed onion- 1
- 1 pepper, chopped and sauteed
- any tomatoes that were going bad, chopped and thrown in. If using roma just use the meaty part
- any other sturdy veg
- a bag of spinach, wilted down. Great way to sneak in more veg
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- cheese to top them with before placing the lids on - not required but I had it!
- Spray the bottom of your slow cooker and make sure your peppers will stand up. If they won't you may want to level them out on the bottom so they'll stand, but without causing a hole to form!
- Put about 1 cup of water in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- If you add cheese, wait until about the last 30 minutes to an hour otherwise it'll get too melted and you won't even recognize it!
I hope that helps. Try them in your rotation soon. Get the kids used to peppers- they really are an unappreciated veg and great way to add more nutrients into your family's meals!
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