Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers Easy Week Night Dinner Recipe

The inspiration of Cinco De Mayo brought this delicious Stuffed Peppers Tex Mex style dish that is quick and easy and goes from stove to table in under an hour. I cannot take the credit for this recipe, it comes from my daughter (an amazing cook) who served these for dinner last night. You could serve these peppers by themselves or with a light salad and cornbread on the side.

What you will need for this recipe:
1-1/2 LB Hamburger (Chuck or Market)
6 Bell Peppers (cut in half from top to bottom)
1 Medium Onion (diced)
1 Bag Frozen Corn (Microwave Steam in the Bag 12oz)
1 15oz Can Black Bean (Bush’s Seasoned)
2 Pkg Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice (Instant White Rice in Microwave)
1 Small Container Salsa (or homemade)
2 8oz PKg’s Cheddar Cheese (grated)
1 Small Container Sour Cream
1 Bottle Presidente Beer
Taco Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

Prepare the Peppers First. We used Orange, Red, Yellow and Green. Cut the peppers from top to bottom to make two shells. Rinse and dry then clean out the seeds and white ribs. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease with Olive Oil (or oil you prefer) Place pepper half’s on baking sheet ( inside up) drizzle with olive oil then season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. * If the pepper half’s do not sit flat, slice a thin piece from the back.

In a skillet, add chopped onion, season with salt and pepper and saute on medium heat until translucent. Pour in frozen corn and black beans, continue to saute until heated through. Remove from pan and set aside. Microwave the Rice and set aside.

To the same pan add hamburger and cook until just done. Drain in a colander and return to pan. Add Taco Seasoning and mix well, then add the rice and onion mixture to pan, combine all ingredients. Add the bottle of beer stir well and let simmer for 15 minutes uncovered stirring occasionally.

Add spoonfuls of the meat filling to fill the pepper half’s, cover with cheddar cheese and return to oven for 20 minutes. To garnish add a dollop of sour cream and top that with Salsa.

(If you want to add a bit of heat, chop up a jalapeno pepper and add with the onions, or red pepper flakes.)

 

Enjoy :}

Cottage Pie Casserole with Ground Beef Easy Dinner Recipe

This Cottage Pie Casserole was a go to meal when my kids were growing up because it was an easy dinner those nights when you got home late, still had so much to do before bedtime and you wanted comfort food that was easy to make. Bonus: any leftovers freeze well to pull out another night.

The ground beef with onions, olives, parsley, celery and tomato paste make a delicious combination. Layer over that, creamy fluffy homemade mashed potatoes and top with cheddar cheese for a delicious lunch or dinner.

You can use your own recipe for homemade mashed potatoes or (I can’t believe that I am going to say this!) Instant potatoes…….. I only add this because, yes I am guilty of using them a couple times when dinner just had to get on the table.

2 lbs Hamburger Meat Ground Chuck
1 med Onion
1-1/2 Stalks Celery
1/2 Green Pepper (1 whole pepper if very small)
4-5 Green Olives w/ pimentos chopped
1 can 12 oz Tomato Paste
1 tsp Garlic Powder or 2 Fresh Clove Garlic crushed
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Basil
1 TBS Fresh Parsley chopped
1 TSP Olive Oil
8 oz or 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste – Add Salt at end since the olives are salty

Cut up celery and onion in bite size pieces, saute in Skillet with a little oil, until onion is translucent. Remove vegetables, add hamburger and cook until done. Drain grease and return hamburger to pan with the celery and onion add green olives. Add all spices and 1/3 cup water. Let simmer uncovered 8 minutes or until the water has almost all evaporated. Add tomato paste mixing well. Set aside.

Potatoes

3 lbs Idaho Potatoes
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Salt
1 Stick Butter
1/2 cup Container Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 – 3/4 cup Milk
1 TBS Mayonnaise ( not Miracle Whip)

Peel potato’s and add to pot of cold water with enough water to cover potatoes. Add in a bay leaf, and salt. Boil uncovered about 10 minutes or until fork tender.  Drain water and return potatoes to pot. Remove bay leaf. Add stick of butter and mash until soft. Add Sour Cream and mix well. Heat up milk in Microwave or stove top. Add Milk to potato’s a little at a time while using a mixer. When the potatoes have absorbed the milk, add the mayonnaise. Whip potato’s until a fluffy consistency. You can also add a cup of cheese to the potato’s for more cheesy flavor.

Other things you can do to for more flavor is add some onion powder, salt and pepper, or what ever spices you like in your home made potatoes.

The  mayonnaise will make them pop with flavor and very few know why your potato’s are so great!
For a richer mashed potato you could also replace 1/3 cup of Milk with Evaporated Milk.

In a 13 x 9 Baking Pan,  place the meat mixture on the bottom, cover with potatoes and top with the cheddar cheese.
Bake on 350 degree’s for 20 minutes.

Hint: Better made the day before or make and freeze for another night.

Enjoy :}

50 Memorial Day Party Recipes That Are Sure To Please A Crowd by Real House Moms

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo – Everything You Need to Know About Eating Tacos from Food Network

Pretty Rose Shaped Apple Baked Dessert by Cooking with Manuela

Photo Courtesy of CookingWithManuela.com

This is such a pretty dessert! Manuela from Cooking with Manuela shows you how to make these delicious rose shaped apple baked delights using just two apples, apricot preserves, pastry dough, cinnamon and a sprinkle of powdered sugar is added after baking.

I can’t wait to try this! Get the Recipe Here or see the video below

Thank you Manuela!

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBQ Burger Party Recipe

Warmer weather means opening up the house and dusting off the Bar B Que. One of our favorites on the grill is good ole hamburgers. They are easy to make and do not take long to cook. Put together different toppings, invite friends and family and you have a party!

2 Lbs Ground Chuck or a market brand hamburger that is 80/20 – 80% meat and 20% fat.
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Shape out 6 Patties at 1/ inch thick. You should be able to get 3 burgers per pound
Place on a plate and add Salt/Pepper to each side.
Put a thumb print indent on the top of each burger. This will keep them from puffing up.
Place on pre-heated grill and let cook on one side for 8 minutes.
Cook on other side for 8 minutes more. (Do not continually flip over and over or squish down)

Medium: Aprox: 8 to 10 minutes per side
Well Done: Aprox:10 to 15 minutes per side
To check how done the burgers are, push lightly on the top with your finger.

Here is one rule to follow

If the burger feels like

Touch your cheek – this is rare
Touch your chin – this is medium
Touch your forehead – this is well done.

If your guest would like cheese, add it at the last minute.
Put burgers on soft Hamburger Buns and let your guest choose their toppings.
I use a big platter or several platters and have paper plates ready at the side for the guests to use.

This is a variety of items and you do not have to do them all.
Choose your favorites or add what favorites you like to arrange.

Spring Mix Salad or lettuce of your choice
Sauteed Mushrooms
1 Onion Sliced thin or sauteed onions and even onion rings
2 3 Tomato’s about 1/4 inch thick slices
Roasted red Peppers- you can do these on the grill, put into a plastic bag for a few minutes and the char peels right off.
Slices of Bacon cooked crisp
Melted Velveeta Cheese
Provolone Cheese
Monterrey Jack Cheese
American Cheese
Cheddar Grated
BBQ Sauce
Ketchup
Mustard
Relish

If you have a bigger crowd increase the hamburger 1/4 pound per person for regular size hamburgers and 1/3 pound for larger burgers. You could go up to a half a pound per person, but it is very generous. These estimates are for uncooked burger patties and the burgers will shrink a bit when cooked.

Photo Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs Recipe Food Network Giada De Laurentiss

Giada De Laurentiis has an easy recipe for Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs on her cooking show Giada At Home. She uses, parsley, bread crumbs, grated onion, ketchup, Parmesan cheese, hamburger, veal, and more. The smoked mozzarella goes in the center for extra flavor.

 

 

 

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Photo Courtesy of tiramisustudio  at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Easter Bunny Shaped Rolls by Mom Always Finds Out

I came across the recipe for these adorable Easter Bunny Shaped Rolls this morning and thought they would be a great idea to do for Easter Supper. Nicole from MomAlwaysFindsOut.com has recipe for these rolls that looks delicious but I am going what I have on hand that are store bought rolls that come frozen. They will set out hours before supper is ready to thaw and rise and then we will commence to make bunny rolls.

Here is the recipe and instructions

Happy Easter!