Spicing things up with peppers!

Peppers come in so many different styles, flavors, and colors. Let’s take a look at how adding peppers to our dishes can help spice them up a bit.

Dump-and-Bake Stuffed Bell Peppers Casserole

https://www.theseasonedmom.com/stuffed-bell-peppers-casserole/#wprm-recipe-container-46613

Ingredients

• ½ lb. extra-lean ground beef, ground turkey breast, or ground chicken breast (at least 93% lean)
• ½ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• ½ cup frozen diced onion (or about ½ of a small onion, diced)
• 1 medium sweet bell pepper (any color), diced
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 cups beef broth
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. At the bottom of the prepared dish, arrange uncooked beef, uncooked rice, onion, bell pepper, and diced tomatoes. Break up the meat into small pieces with your fingers as you spread it around so that it cooks evenly throughout. Use your hands to gently combine everything.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together beef broth, tomato sauce, garlic, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour over the beef mixture.
4. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
5. Remove foil, stir everything, and cover with foil again. Return the dish (covered) to the oven for an additional 15 minutes, or until the meat, rice and vegetables are fully cooked and tender. If using a glass or ceramic baking dish, you may need to increase the baking time.
6. Remove foil. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with shredded cheese. Place in the oven uncovered for about 3-5 more minutes, or just until the cheese melts.

Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Roasted Bell Peppers

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked rotini (whole grain preferred or gluten-free if desired)
• 2 large carrots, peeled sliced
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 tablespoons chicken broth, plus more if necessary
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• salt and pepper
• 1 pound chicken breasts, organic if available

Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler to high. Cut bell peppers in half and place on a foil-lined baking sheet, skin sides up. Broil for 8-10 minutes or until blackened.
2. Once blackened, remove from the oven and transfer to a plastic ziplock bag. This will help the skin sweat so that you are able to peel it off easily. Keep in the bag for 10 minutes, then peel and slice into strips; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together two tablespoons of olive oil, chicken broth, garlic, basil, parmesan cheese, basil, and oregano; set aside. Next, generously season chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. While peppers are cooking and/or sweating, you can cook the pasta according to package directions.
5. In a large skillet, drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil and add in carrots and zucchini. Saute while pasta cooks. If carrots and zucchini absorb all oil add in a few tablespoons of chicken broth.
6. Next, drain pasta, transfer back to skillet and turn heat to low; stir in the Parmesan cheese mixture.
7. Add in sliced roasted bell peppers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep pasta over low heat while you cook the chicken.
8. Heat a separate skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle two teaspoons of olive oil in. Add in chicken and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
9. Slice chicken and then add to pasta. Sprinkle with a bit more parmesan cheese. Serves 6, about 1 1/2 cups each.