Monday, August 16, 2010

Slow-Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers

Crockpot Stuffed Bell Pepper

My brother has recently discovered the wonders of the slow-cooker and with good timing too. See, he just graduated from college and is heading out to Denver for his first job. So when I had a glut of bell peppers to use, I wanted to find a recipe that he could use as well. Not only would dinner be ready for him when he walked through the door, but he can also take the leftovers for lunches throughout the week, saving me, uh, him money that can go towards buying beer at Happy Hours or towards skiing and snowboarding once winter rolls around.

I health-ified these a bit, subbing ground turkey breast for lean ground beef and brown rice for white rice. Honestly, I just don't think I'm a fan of bell peppers in their whole form. I like them in things and maybe I would like red bell peppers slightly more in this recipe. The peppers did have a nice roasted flavor from the slow-cooker. Joe liked them and took them to work for lunch the next day with a little salsa for an extra kick.

What recipes would you pass on to your siblings, real or imagined?

Slow-Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers
adapted from: A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients
5-6 bell peppers in a color of your choosing, tops cut off and reserved, seeds and membranes removed
1 lb ground turkey breast, ground turkey, or lean ground beef
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 14.5 oz can of Italian-flavored or fire-roasted tomatoes
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1/3 cup water

Preparation
In a bowl, mix the ground meat with the rice, tomatoes, Worcestershire, ketchup, black pepper, and garlic salt.
Stuff each pepper with the mixture.
Nestle the peppers in your slow-cooker and top with the reserved pepper tops.
Pour the 1/3 cup of water into the bottom of the slow-cooker to prevent the peppers from burning.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.