Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers *UPDATE*

So, I did make the Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers! And they were awesome...my son really enjoyed them and I am excited because I can easily make this into a vegetarian option for the Lenten season for a Friday meal.

Anyway, here is what I did.

1 lb ground bison
1 to 2 cups quinoa, toasted and prepared according to the label
1 zucchini, medium dice (about 1/4"x1/4"x1/4")
1 yellow neck squash, medium dice
1 shallot, brunoised (small dice or 1/8" cubed)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup or so of a dry white wine to deglaze your pan
3 to 4 medium bell peppers, tops removed, seeded and cored...try to get as much of the white pith out as possible since this is bitter
1 box of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes
1 Carton of Chicken Stock (once I get back into a groove, I intend on making my own stock but I have these in the kitchen and need to use them up!)
Kosher salt 
Fresh ground black pepper
Your favorite cheese, shredded, I used left over mozzarella and Parmesan from our 8 year old sleep over pizza party
Fresh parsley, minced

Brown your bison (or beef) with a pinch of salt, drain if needed, add in the shallots and be sure to add some more salt (build your flavor layers as you go, seasoning with each new layer).

Once the scallions become translucent, add in the garlic.

 

 Now add your zucchini, squash, and some more salt.

Deglaze your pan with the wine, simmering until the alcohol smell has cooked off. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

If you are ready to stuff peppers at this point (I did mine the night before), combine with cooked quinoa (toast it until it smells nutty in a skillet, then add your water to cook it. I did it all in one non-stick pan.)

Now add your cheese if you want it cheesy.

Salt the bell peppers, stuff them, and then place them into the crock pot.

Cover with tomatoes and pour in the chicken stock. If you want a veg alternative, omit the bison and use vegetable stock.

I hit it with just a pinch more salt to make sure my flavors sung. Then, I turned the crock pot on to low and cooked for 8 hours or you could do high for 4 to 6 hours.

I made a quick sauce (reduction) using the chicken broth and tomatoes that had cooked down to serve with the peppers.

 And for my left over use, I baked a spaghetti squash, scraped it out and used the bell pepper stuffing I had left over as my "sauce." Yum!

Two main courses I plan on trying, with my own twist...

Slow-Cooker Sausage and Kale Stew With Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Serves 6| Hands-On Time: 15m| Total Time: 8hr 30m

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and broken into pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 large russet potatoes (about 1 pound)
• 1 small bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn (about 7 cups)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Combine the sausage, onion, tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, garlic, 1 cup water, and ¾ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Nestle the potatoes in the liquid and top with the kale.
2. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total recipe time). Transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl. Add the milk, oil, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper to the bowl and mash.
3. Serve the stew topped with the mashed potatoes. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.

By Nora Singley , November, 2013

Crockpot Stuffed Bell Peppers (w/ optional vegetarian version) By Corey @ http://www.familyfreshmeals.com/

  I will be making these tomorrow except I plan on doing my own version. I will be posting my results and pictures on Tuesday.

Did you know that you could make these in the CROCKPOT!? 

Let me show you how…

 

Who doesn’t love a good stuffed pepper? But in the crockpot? EVEN better. You can easily make these Stuffed Peppers vegetarian. To save time in the morning, you could prep everything, and just stuff peppers in the morning, set the crockpot and go about your day.

Melt in your mouth good, and VERY healthy! The kids loved this one. Little D didn’t care for the pepper skins, but loved the rest.

Darryl is not the biggest pepper fan, but LOVED these. Hope you enjoy this amazingly easy recipe XO Corey

 

 

Here is what you need, Makes 6 peppers.

- 6 large bell peppers
- 1.5 lbs raw ground chuck (or Morning Star Grillers Recipe Crumbles for vegetarian version)- 2 cups cooked wild rice

- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 (15oz) can of diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or cheese blend. (I used Cheddar/Jack blend.)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper

 

 1. Cut just the tops off the pepper and removed seeds and ribs from inside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, cooked rice, 1/2 of the can of chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, cheese, egg, salt and pepper.	3. Mix well until evenly combined.	4. Stuff peppers with mixture and place into crockpot, stuffed side up.

 

 

5. Pour stock over and around peppers.	6. Next, pour the rest of the canned tomatoes in.	7. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours or LOW for 8 hours.

CROCK POT BUFFALO RANCH PULLED CHICKEN

Hat tip to Slow cooker Recipes



Used it in burritos, over rice, over noodles...the options are endless.

5 Frozen ***B/S***Chicken Breasts
1/2 Tbsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Salt
1 packs dry ranch dressing
1 C Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Place frozen chicken breasts into the slow cooker.
Mix together all remaining ingredients in a bowl.
Pour sauce over frozen chicken breasts and turn to low.
Cook for about 5 hours.
Using two forks or tongs, shred chicken.

***B/S means boneless n skinless, you don't have to use frozen, you can use regular boneless chicken breast

CROCK POT PORK-STUFFED PEPPERS from Slow Cooker Recipes

CROCK POT PORK-STUFFED PEPPERS

(Now here is a great recipe for those of you who want more time on your hands, yet produce a AAA meal!)

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground pork (or a combination of pork and beef)
4 large green peppers
1 large onion
2 carrots
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 head of cauliflower
6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon dry or fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut the tops of the peppers and clean the seeds out.
Arrange peppers in the Crock-Pot standing up and make sure they fit securely.
Grate onion, carrots, garlic and cauliflower in the food processor. You can also just chop them into small pieces with a knife if you don’t have a food processor.
In a big bowl, combine ground pork, shredded vegetables, seasonings and tomato paste.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and arrange leftover meat between the peppers. Add half a cup of water, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
If you don’t have a slow-cooker, the dish can be cooked in the oven, covered, for 1-2 hours.

Sunday Must Try: Mississippi Roast, courtesy of an old friend from North Carolina

 

Mississippi Roast - - Put chuck roast in crock pot, Sprinkle with dry Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix, add packet of dry McCormick Au Jus mix, a stick of butter, 5 pepperoncini peppers. DO NOT ADD WATER. Cook on low for 7-8 hrs

But, I already have my chicken (that I deconstructed myself) soaking in prep to be fried (it is Sunday, after all), fresh green beans are simmering, and soon potatoes will be on the stove for some mashed potatoes. Yummy!

Chicken Pot Pie and Labels

So, tonight I took my left over lemon rosemary chicken, peas, and carrots and made a pot pie. I was under the weather today, so instead of making a pie crust from scratch, I used crescent roll dough. The result was yummy!

I did not make a roux, which I would have preferred to do...instead, to add moisture and fat to the chicken mixture, I added sharp cheddar cheese and dabs of butter.

I topped it with the crescent rolls and baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

The result was a tasty comfort food with very little effort on my part. It was bubbly and the sharp cheddar was a lovely contrast to the sweetness the peas and carrots brought forth.

I also messed around with another attempt at making my own wine labels. Below are the two I currently have created for our Italian Merlot.

I don't like the white accents on the two bigger labels but I like the background. I am going to mess with that background a little more and see if I can develop a label I like.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken with a Crock Pot

So, I adopted a nice recipe from a chef I know to accommodate my lengthy commute. No need to stand over the stove cooking this down...I busted out my trusty crock pot (one of four.)

I cooked 6 chicken breasts with carrots, onions, rosemary, and thyme (plus salt and pepper) on low for 10 hours. I also added chicken broth (low sodium) and vegetable broth to cover, plus I squeezed two lemons and dropped them in as well to cook with the chicken.

I arrived at home to a great smelling kitchen and fall apart chicken. I pulled it out of the crock pot to let it rest while I fried up the potatoes.

I then combined the two with more chicken broth and broth from the crock pot with its lemon yumminess.

I served this with the carrots from the crock pot and some spring peas I cooked as well while frying my potatoes. I realized that the meal was best served altogether, like a pot pie without the pie.

So, I set the leftovers aside to make that pot pie (I will figure out a way to make it GF or at least Paleo friendly as well.)

More to follow soon!