Momma's Stuffed Pepper

A recipe that makes a really unique memory to me would be my mother's stuffed peppers recipe. I am not a cook by any means but I have been asked to bring this for events, and I feel I have delivered. I have made this for coworker's, a church group, a surprise date night, and a cookout. I have been asked for the recipe and I said just cook with me, it's that easy.

This recipe makes me feel special because it is always something easy my mom would make for me when I would feel homesick. She texted me the recipe, I started making it, and as I said prior, it is loved by many. I think this recipe will always be significant to me as it was something my mom had found and tweaked to her liking, and now I tweak it to mine. Every time I think about making it, I think of my mother when she made it one might and I watched her, leaning over the stove after just taking the peppers out of the oven.

The recipe, and instructions, go pretty much as follows:

1.) Gather the ingredients. I have gone to Walmart, Target, and Acme the three separate times I have made this recipe. You will need one to two pounds of hamburger meat, I prefer getting the 80 or 85 percent lean meat with the remaining being fat. You will then need at least a dozen peppers. At Walmart, they come in packs of 3 and come either yellow, orange, or red mix. Then you are going to get rice. Yes, rice. I like to use Uncle Ben's microwavable Whole Wheat Rice packets that go in the microwave for 90 seconds. It may seem doubtful but there is a method to the madness. From there, you would need to find cheese, I prefer to get shredded white mozzerella cheese and I would get at least 3 packages of it. You will also need one onion, preferably a small one, and your choice of tomato sauce. I like getting the tomato basil from an organic brand, but it would really just be preference. The last ingredients are pink himilayan salt, pepper, and oregano. Feel free to add whatever other spices you would like, but these are what I put in mine.

2.) Prep, Preheat, & Mix. The ingredients can either be left in the freezer for another day, or can be made that night. Since the meat is already thawed out, I prefer to do it that night. And then freeze the leftovers. To cook it that night, you will need to preheat to oven to 350 degrees while you are preparing the meat. I like using my wok pan, as it is big and can fit all the ingredients in it at once. I place a bit of oil in the Wok and make sure there is a plentiful amount but not enough that it looks like you are deep frying. I place my meat directly from the package, thawed out, into the wok, and start it on medium heat. At this point, I start watching the meat slowly brown, and prepare the peppers. I cut the tops off, the inside out, and leave the shell into a raised pan. The shell should be whole since the peppers are stuffed. Then comes the rice. Since Uncle Ben's Rice is microwavable, I take the tops off and alternate them every 90 to 120 seconds until all the rice is cooked. Once the meat has browned, dump all of the rice packages into the wok, along with your tomato sauce. Your going to empty one of the containers into the wok, swish a little bit of water in the container, and get the remaining of the liquid out. Add your preferred amount of spices while mixing all ingredients (meat, rice, spices, and sauce).

3.) Cut, Stuff, & Mix. If you didn't dispose of the tops, you are going to cut around the middle, dicing them. You are also going to be doing this with the onion. I found it was easiest to place it in a large liquid measuring cup for the next part. At this time, your oven should be preheated and it is time to stuff those peppers. Put cheese on the bottom of each pepper, the inside of the pepper, and prepare to stuff. Your going to take whatever utensil you'd life, I prefer a spatula, a spoon, or a combination with a forked end, to end the meat and rice mixture. Your going to top off the pepper with the meat, sprinkle it with a cheese layer, place the other can of sauce on the peppers and surrounding the peppers. This is going to act as a base underneath the peppers and I fill it in once everything is stuffed. Do you remember the measuring cup? Your going to sprinkle the onion and pepper tops, even more spices if you desire, on top of the already stuffed peppers. These allow for favor to seep while it is cooking in the oven.

4.) Foil It. Your going to place a layer of foil horizontally across the pan, and this is allow for no sauce splattering while it is in the oven. With the oven at 350 degrees, feel free to pop it onto the lower level rack.

5.) Timing. Your going to set a timer on the stove for 45 minutes, and there is no need to watch it as the foil makes sure it doesn't get everywhere. After the 45 minutes are up, take it out of the oven, and place it on the stove. Grab the spatula, or two, to take the peppers out of the hot pan. I like to take the sauce that is at the bottom of the pan and spread it over the top of the plated peppers, but that is just me.

6.) Enjoy! Let me know what you think if you try this out! :)