Tomatoeless Stuffed Peppers

Friday Show and Tell time with Canada Girl!

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My Friday's show and tell isn't really a show and tell... because I don't have any pitures. I killed my digital camera a few weeks ago, and my phone will not link with my new computer. Go figure.

Anyway...

My meal planned for last night was stuffed peppers. I started pulling all of my ingredients out to get some early prep done, and I realized I have NO TOMATO SAUCE! Not only did I not have any tomato sauce, I had no tomatoes in any form!

What to do? All of the recipes I have seen for stuffed peppers called for tomato (sauce, crushed, diced, etc...) Do I put this recipe off and quick thaw something else, or do I improvise?

I decided to improvise! I scrounged around in my cabinet to see what I could find. I found one lone can of chicken broth that had been forgotten. So I decided to try that and see how it turned out. My family loved them, and actually asked for more, which never happens when I make stuffed peppers.

So here's my "improvised" recipe:

Tomato-less Stuffed Peppers

• 4 medium green bell peppers.
• 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 1 cup dry black beans, or 1 can black beans
• 1 lb ground turkey sausage
• 1 1/2 tspn basil (optional)
  
• 1 can chicken broth
• 8 oz block of cheddar cheese

Quick soak black beans, and then simmer on stove top. While beans are simmering, steam brown rice. Place rice in steamer and use 2 cups chicken broth in place of water for the rice. Steam until rice is done. Thaw and brown turkey sausage. Retain juice from turkey sausage and set aside until time to assemble stuffed peppers.

45 minutes before dinner time, pre heat oven to 400 degrees F. Pull out a 9x13 baking pan. Lightly grease if need be.

Wash green peppers. Cut peppers in half from TOP to BOTTOM! (Not cutting the tops off). Rinse insides and remove seeds and stem. Pat dry.

In a bowl, combine black beans, turkey sausage, 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups brown rice. Add basil if desired. Mix together. Scoop mixture into each pepper half and place in 9x13 dish.

While peppers are baking, grate cheese. With a kitchen scale measure cheese into 8 1oz portions.

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. Turn off oven. Pull out baking dish and top each stuffed peppers with 1 oz shredded cheddar. Place dish back in oven for a few minutes to melt cheese.

Serve to your family :)

Be Blessed