I will never again have to try to avoid burning my fingers while maneuvering hot stuffing into a pepper shell that won’t hold still and keeps trying to fall over. Most importantly of all, I won’t have to clean up the unholy mess that preparing the traditional dish made of my kitchen.

Now I will easily be able to prepare this casserole, sit back and put my feet up while it bakes. Maybe read a book. I think that I will make two of these casseroles at the same time and freeze one (see Quick Tip) for a future dinner when I don’t feel like cooking at all.

 

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey (or ground beef)

½ cup onion, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

3 cups cooked rice (any variety)

1 14-oz. can diced tomato (any variety)

2 cups shredded cheddar, divided

1 Tbsp. oregano

1 tsp garlic salt

¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In medium pan sauté onion in olive oil, until translucent. Add ground turkey and cook thoroughly, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from pan, set aside. Drain any fat that is in pan.

Add bell pepper to same pan, turn heat to medium and cover, stirring occasionally. When pepper has softened, add spices, tomatoes (undrained) and salt/pepper to taste. Continue cooking a couple additional minutes to blend flavors.

In large bowl combine: turkey & veggie mixture, rice and 1½ cups cheese, mix thoroughly. Spoon into greased 9×13 casserole dish, covering with foil.

Cook 25 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil carefully and add remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese.

Place back into oven to broil 2-3 minutes to gently crisp cheese.

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Quick Tip:  Here’s how to quickly and easily get the stem and seeds out of a bell pepper. First, cut a thin slice off the bottom so that the pepper will stand fairly upright. This gives you a greater degree of control. Now, using a larger chef’s knife, place the knife at the top of the pepper, where the flesh meets the outer rim of the stem piece. Not right up by the stem, but along that outer rim of the stem. Now slice down through the pepper at an angle, from the outer edge to the center of the pepper. You have just removed one side, and you should be able to see the stem and all the little seeds still attached to it. Repeat on the remaining sides. Discard the stem and its seeds and slice, chop or dice the big pieces you cut off. Pretty clever, huh?

Recipe and image courtesy of Heather and Lori at Who Needs A Cape?