#2,814: Classic Beef Chili

One thing my mom is known for is her chili recipe.  It's loaded with beans and is just the right amount of spicy.  This is NOT my mom's recipe, so I'm sure my sister is totally going to hate this.  However, being one who likes to try new recipes, I figured I'd give this one a try.  I have to admit, I really do like this chili.  I love that it has two different kinds of beans.  I especially love it served over elbow noodles, with some melted cheddar cheese, and some oyster crackers like my mom always served hers.  As with most chili's this is definitely better the longer it sits and you let the flavors meld.  You kind of get a little bit of the beer flavor in this, but it's super mild.  If you don't want to add beer, just use more chicken broth.  

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion
8 garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds ground chuck
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (15-oz.) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (12-oz.) bottle beer

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground chuck, and cook, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain beef mixture well, and return to Dutch oven.

Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes.

Increase heat to high. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, and beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

#2,810: Thai Chicken Salad

We have a disagreement at school during lunch about which is better canned shredded chicken or fresh shredded chicken.  I am the minority of that vote who greatly prefer canned chicken over fresh chicken.  So in the recipe photo above (which I was making just for myself, I used canned chicken.  The salad was delicious and I decided to make it again for some friends, but this time I figured I'd actually cook and shred fresh chicken and add that into the salad.  Although I will deny saying this to my friends, the fresh shredded chicken was actually quite good!  The dressing in this salad is tangy, a bit sweet, and yet a tiny bit spicy.  I like it.  (In my head I said that last sentence with a weird, definitive accent, so please try to read it that way! 🤣).  I strongly recommend this salad...it was THAT good.  

2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded

2 cups red cabbage, chopped

1 bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup peanuts, roasted & unsalted

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1 cup Greek yogurt, plain

2 tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp rice vinegar

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

In a large bowl, add all ingredients listed in the order above and mix with spatula until well combined.

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

#2,806: Caprese Lasagna Roll-up

When you have a whole lot of tomatoes and basil in your garden you've got to find a way to use them up!  I am a huge lasagna fan so I was excited to try this recipe when I found it.  I loved this lasagna and I loved that I was able to use fresh ingredients from my own garden for it too.  It would have been even more home made if I would have made the noodles from scratch but that would have really been pushing it! HA  

8 lasagna noodles, uncooked

3 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 large egg white

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper

3-4 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus more for garnish)

2 cups marinara sauce 

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain pasta and align noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of parchment paper (I used a flexible cutting board).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in fresh Parmesan cheese.

Mix about 3 cups of the Mozzarella cheese and season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle, covering it completely from one end to the other.

Lay about 4 thin tomato slices over the cheese mixture and then sprinkle fresh basil over top.

Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end.

Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 11x7'' baking dish.

Place lasagna rolls seam side down in dish and top each roll with a heaping spoonful or pasta sauce. Make sure to cover the edges of the pasta so they don't dry out while baking.

Sprinkle remaining shredded Mozzarella on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and garnish with more fresh basil ribbons. Enjoy!

#2,799: Gluten Free Home Made Ramen Noodle Cups

Ramen noodles may be so bad for you, but they are a guilty pleasure of mine!  I am not a fan though of the ramen noodle cups (eck!) which are just loaded with sodium and weird spices.  So when I found a healthier version with real veggies I knew I wanted to give this a try.  I've been eating gluten free ramen noodles lately (I like the millet and brown rice ones from Lutus foods...I get it off Thrive) so this was even a little more exciting.  

The first time I made these I didn't pre-cook the carrots and I really regretted that.  Have you ever choked on a shred of carrot?  No?  It hurts. The second time I made these I sauteed them in a little olive oil until they softened up and I also chopped the spinach a little finer, and I LOVED this more.  I have eaten this both with shredded chicken and cooked chicken sausage (you can see it in the photo above) and I like it both ways.  I also added some edamame after I took this picture...that was a good idea!  

This is made with homemade bouillon seasoning and it is quite good in my opinion.   The recipe makes a ton though so you might want to halve it! 

This makes a super easy, make ahead lunch!  Just add some hot water, let it sit for a few minutes, and you are ready to eat! 

This is for FOUR ramen cups

Bouillon Powder

1/2 cup (40 g) nutritional yeast flakes*

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons onion flakes (can substitute 1 tablespoon onion powder)

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder (if you can’t find it, leave it out)*

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (can substitute regular granulated sugar)

Instant Soup

4 “nests” gluten free ramen or rice noodles

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves (I like mine chopped a bit)

3/4 cup shredded carrots (from about 2 medium carrots) (I used grated carrots and sauteed them to soften a bit)

1 cup cubed extra-firm tofu or diced cooked chicken

2 tablespoons gluten free miso paste (I omitted)

4 teaspoons gluten free soy sauce

1/4 cup Bouillon Powder

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped fresh scallion greens

1 cup edamame

First, make the bouillon powder. Place all of the bouillon ingredients in a medium-size bowl and mix to combine well. Place in a resealable glass container (a small mason jar works great), and set aside.

Next, cook the noodles one nest at a time according to the package directions or by boiling them in about a quart of water until they separate and begin to soften.  Do not cook them all the way.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set them aside briefly.

To assemble the instant soups, set out four heat-safe jars that can accommodate about 20 fluid ounces in volume. 

In each jar, layer the ingredients in the following order: 

1/2 cup spinach leaves 

1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup edamame
1/2 cup tofu or chicken
1/2 tablespoon miso paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 nest of softened noodles
1 tablespoon bouillon powder and, finally,
scallion greens to taste (at least 2 tablespoons).

Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, fill each container with boiling water (leaving a small space to permit covering the container) and cover tightly. Allow the container to steep for 2 minutes. Open, stir gently and enjoy.

#2,792: Potsticker Meatballs

This is the brand I used for the sauce. 
A little goes a LONG way.

I randomly decided to make this recipe because I had some ground pork on hand, and I am so glad I did!  Not only was this an easy recipe to throw together, but it makes a really quick lunch or dinner. I felt like these meatballs needed some sort of sauce though to make them even better, so I tried to make some pot sticker sauce to go with it, and it was good, but it wasn't thick enough for my liking.  Then I found some general tso gluten free sauce from Thrive and YES it made these so much better...and spicier.  If you do add the sauce, you just need a little bit!! 
Anyhow, back to the meatballs.  The original recipe said to pan fry and then put in the oven.  That was one step too many for me, so I just baked all of mine.  Although the flavor was great, these didn't brown up as much as I had hoped so don't expect super dark colored meatballs (again, another reason why the addition of the sauce is even better!).

1 pound ground pork

2 small carrots, grated

3 medium green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons coconut aminos

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pinch red pepper flakes

1/4 cup almond flour

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoons coconut oil (I omitted since I baked mine)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the coconut oil. Scoop out a little of the mixture at a time to roll into medium sized meat balls. Lay the meat balls out on a clean sheet pan.

(I skipped this step) In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat balls in batches on all sides. Remove the browned meatballs with a slotted spoon and place back on the sheet pan.

Once all the meatballs have been browned place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through (I baked mine for about 20 minutes). Remove from the oven and toss with a little general tso sauce if desired. 

#2,791: Vegetarian Pumpkin Squash Chili

If you saw my post yesterday, you saw that I've been making cinnamon sugar pumpkin bread.  Well when you have leftover pumpkin puree you've got to use it up some how, so you make pumpkin chili with it!  (OR you just use it as an excuse to try another new recipe!).  At first, I was going to leave out the adobo sauce because I'm not a huge fan of it, but I was also leaving out the bourbon so I had to add one or the other.  It definitely needed it to enhance the flavor.  I was a fan of this chili!  It was even better with sour cream and green onion added to it, but still good without it.

This recipe is healthy, filling, and comforting...what else can you ask for this time of year?!

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 medium onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 red pepper, diced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ cup bourbon (I omitted)

1 - 14-ounce can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

1 - 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1 - 19-ounce can of kidney beans

1 19 ounce can of navy beans 

1 small butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tablespoon chipotle peppers pureed with adobo sauce

2 cups of corn, cut from 2 cobs or frozen

Optional garnishes: grated white cheddar, green onions, chili powder

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until it is soft and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper and continue to cook until the red pepper is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin and sea salt and let it cook for 1 minute more.

Add the bourbon and bring the pot to a boil. Add the canned pumpkin, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, navy beans, butternut squash, pureed chipotle peppers and 2 cups of water and stir the pot well. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and let the chili simmer for 30 minutes, or until the butternut squash is tender. Add the corn to the pot and let it cook for 5 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt.

Serve the pumpkin chili with the cheddar, green onions, and chili powder, if using.

#2,781: Asian Inspired Pork Bowls

I found a simple recipe to make Asian pork bowls and figured I'd could make it a little healthier (and heartier) by adding in some grated carrots, edamame, and riced cauliflower.  Although mine did not caramelize as much as the original recipe did, I still really enjoyed this and ended eating it for 2 or 3 days for my lunch.  This would be good served over white or brown rice, but I chose not to.  I think this would be great in a lettuce wrap too!  The cucumber on top gives it a nice crunch/texture, but some Chinese noodles would be good too! 

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 tsp grated ginger
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 birds eye or Thai chili, deseeded and finely chopped (I used jalapeno)
1 lb ground pork
5 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce (I used more like 1 ½ tbsp….fish sauce is strong in my opinion)
1 green onion, sliced
I also added 1 finely grated carrot, about 1 cup of thawed edamame, and about 1 ½ cups of riced cauliflower

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.

Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chili and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the ground pork and cook for 7 minutes or so until cooked through, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.

Add the sugar and fish sauce. Stir, then leave it to cook without touching until all the juices cook out and the pork starts caramelized - about 2 minutes. Then stir it and leave it again, without stirring, for around 30 seconds to get more caramelization. Repeat twice more until caramelized to your taste. (No matter how long I let this cook it would not get super caramelized). 

Add in the grated carrot, edamamde, and riced cauliflower. Stir well to combine. 

Serve over rice if desired, and garnish with sliced green onion and cucumber (if desired). 

Cauliflower Gnocchi with Roasted Broccoli

I know we don't have a Trader Joe's in our town (sorry local friends!), but if you have one near you, or you are travelling near one, you really should stop and grab a few bags of this cauliflower gnocchi!  All you have to do is heat it up in a pan with some oil (quite a bit of oil in my opinion...or at least my pan is losing it's non-stickiness) for about 10 minutes or so, or until your cauliflower gnocchi is nicely browned.  Then I added some leftover roasted broccoli the last 2 minutes or so to reheat the broccoli and combine some of the flavors.  I topped it with some Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning and it was a FANTASTIC dinner (for me, not my family.  1. They wouldn't eat this, and 2. I wouldn't have shared it anyways!).  This would also be good with some chopped up chicken sausage too! 
Here are the Trader Joe's ingredients you should go buy:

#2,671: Zucchini Meatballs (GF)

Stop right now and run out to your garden (or the neighbor's garden) or the grocery store and go get some zucchini.  I'll be honest, I had low expectations for these "zucchini meatballs" but I actually ate EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of them and even kept eating them when I was full because there were only 2 left and I didn't want them to go to waste (I could have saved them for the next morning I suppose.  I loved these so much, I'm actually debating if I should make them again now so I can eat them tomorrow.

These were so good I didn't even eat it on a plate.  See that cutting board I took the picture on....that worked for me! 

Here's the trick though...get as much liquid out as you can!  I was sure these were going to be too wet in the middle, and I tried one half way through and was pretty sure that was going to be the case, but when they were done cooking they were wonderful!  

2 tsp. oil

1-1/2 lb. zucchini (about 3), shredded

1-1/4 cups dry Italian-style bread crumbs (I used plain GF breadcrumbs and then just added some Italian seasoning)

3 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, divided

1 jar (24 oz.) Traditional Pasta Sauce for dipping

Heat oven to 400°F.

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add zucchini; cook 5 min. or until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain in colander. Use back of spoon to press zucchini into colander to remove as much liquid as possible. Cool zucchini 5 min.

Place zucchini in large bowl. Add bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, egg and 1/4 cup basil; mix well. Shape into 18 "meatballs," using about 2 Tbsp. zucchini mixture for each ball. Place on rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 15 min. Flip over and bake another 10-15 minutes.  

Top with pasta sauce or just use it like a dipping sauce like I did.  

#2,650: Sweet Potato Bites with Avocado and Bacon (#2)

I spent a good chunk of my dinner making happy sounds as I ate this meal.  Oh how this recipe includes three of my favorite things...avocados, sweet potatoes, and bacon!  YES!  I was very happy that no one else in my family wanted to try this because I didn't have to share!  Their loss!  I'll probably be making this again tomorrow.  And maybe the next day!  :) 

4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean, peels on, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices (I just eyeballed it and cut it into thinner pieces)

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

I also added some diced red onion

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil (I didn't do this step, but just oiled my pan a little). Brush sheets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil each. 

Arrange the slices of sweet potatoes in a single layer on the oiled baking sheets, then brush tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil (I also did not do this additional oil step). Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown underneath. Remove the pans from the oven, flip the slices over, then roast for an additional 8 to 11 minutes, until golden on top.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the avocado, lime juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and smoked paprika. Mash lightly with a fork, leaving the mixture slightly chunky. Set aside.

Transfer the baked sweet potato slices to a serving plate. Top each with a dollop of the avocado mixture, chopped bacon, and cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature.

#2,648: Bacon Ranch Zucchini Pasta Bowls

I know it's kind of hard to see the zucchini noodles under all these yummy toppings, but it's there!  This recipe was supposed to have shredded carrots, but I was out of carrots, so I added some bell pepper, tomatoes, and cucumbers from my garden instead.  And red onion.  I love red onion in my salad!  I wasn't totally sure about this one because I don't love zucchini noodles...but the next thing I knew, the bowl was gone, so I must have enjoyed it more than I thought.  LOL I guess I better put zucchini on my grocery list again. 

2 medium zucchinis

3 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped

1/2 cup shredded carrots (I omitted)

1 small can black sliced olives, drained

1/2 cup ranch (that's A LOT!  I did not need nearly that much!)

2 tbsp fresh parsley

1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

1 tsp sea salt
I also added some diced bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and tomatoes. 

Spiralize the zucchinis with a spiralizer.  Add the cooking oil to a pan and set to medium/low heat.  Cook the zucchini noodles for 2-3 minutes or until just barely soft.   Remove the zucchini noodles and drain off any excess water (I didn't have any extra!) 
Place the noodles in a large bowl and add in the bacon, olives, and carrots.  Stir in the ranch dressing and top with fresh parsley and sea salt.

#2,643: Sweet Potato Nachos

I used this recipe as the basis for these Sweet Potato Nachos that I made for lunch for both the kids and I.  Don't let me fool you, their plate did NOT look this good.  I gave them everything in small piles/separately (they just ate sweet potatoes, taco meat, a little shredded cheese, and for some sour cream.  Baby steps!).  This was fabulous!  1 kid only liked it if the sweet potato was covered in taco meat.  1 kid liked it dipped in sour cream.  1 kid cried and spit it out. 

I loved these and think it's an awesome meal!  And have eaten it more than once.  The kids weren't as excited, but I'll keep trying to get them to enjoy sweet potatoes as much as I do!  You could totally adapt this to whatever meat/veggies/toppings you are in the mood for.  

Below is the recipe to make the sweet potato nachos.  I didn't add the directions for the toppings, so just add what you have on hand and/or love!

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch thick slices

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 F.  In a bowl, combine the sweet potato slices, olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix everything until well combined.

Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, turning once. (I only needed to bake mine for 30 minutes and I was removing pieces as they were finished cooking since they were cooking a bit unevenly).  

When done top with desired toppings.  

#2,723: Pepperoni Pizza Pierogies

Some days it's a clean out your fridge/freezer kind of meal!  I was looking through my freezer and decided to make some mini cheese pierogies when I remembered seeing an ad/recipe in a magazine that made little "pizzas" out of them.  Wouldn't you know, I had some provolone, pepperoni, and an open jar of spaghetti sauce needing to be used up too, so I threw these babies together.  I think these were done in about 10 minutes, so they would make a great snack or appetizer too! 

1 box mini pierogies (I used 4 cheese medley)
sliced pepperoni
sliced provolone cheese (you could use mozzarella or Italian blend too)
spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce
3 basil leaves, chiffonade 

Cook pierogies as desired (boil, bake, or pan fry).  I pan fried mine in a little bit of olive oil. 

When done, transfer to a cookie sheet and top each pierogie with one piece of sliced pepperoni and a piece of cheese.  I had slices of provolone so I just cut each one into about 8 pieces and used one little triangle per pierogie.  Place under the broiler for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Meanwhile warm up the sauce to use as a dipping sauce for the pierogies. 

When the pierogies are done, transfer to a plate and top with pieces of basil.   

#2,715: Low Carb Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

There are a bunch of recipes/videos floating around Facebook to make Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers.  We made a few too many seasoned sandwich steaks for Father's Day, so I had a bunch of meat left over.  Plus I had ONE lone pepper in my fridge so I knew this was the recipe I just had to make/try.  

It was super simple.  I cut a pepper in half and took out the seeds.  Then I put it in a bowl with about 1/8 c of water and covered it with plastic wrap.  I poked a few holes in the plastic wrap and I cooked it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.  The peppers were plenty soft to my liking so I took them out and put them on a baking sheet.  I chopped up the leftover steak and placed it inside the pepper.  Then I topped it with a piece of provolone cheese.  I threw that baby in the broiler for about 2 minutes and it was done.  My lunch was ready in less than 10 minutes and most of that time was waiting for the pepper to cook and the oven to heat up.

Yep, I'd definitely make this again!! 

#2,681: Quinoa Veggie Chili

With it being Lent this time of year, I'm looking for vegetarian dishes I can make to eat during the week, but primarily on Fridays.  I liked that this recipe had everything I already had in the house except for the zucchini, so it was a clean-out-the-pantry kind of a meal too! 

I felt like the flavors of this were a bit dark and strong, but I'm assuming that's partially because I only used one can of the diced tomatoes.  Next time I would add a bit more water to dilute the flavors a bit.  I also added about 4 oz of plain greek yogurt right to the dish when it was done cooking to help mild the flavors out a bit and I did definitely enjoy that addition.  I loved eating this topped with some cilantro, a little bit of avocado, and some crushed tortilla chips!  

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/2 zucchini, sliced and quartered

1 green pepper, diced (I used and orange bell pepper)

1 red pepper, diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes (I only used 1 can)

14 oz water 

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup medium salsa (I used picante sauce)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup cooked quinoa

Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sour cream (or greek yogurt), cilantro

In large pot, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute yellow onion until translucent. Add in chopped green and red peppers and zucchini, and saute for another 5-6 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Stir in 2 tbsp of tomato paste.

Add two 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, beans, cooked quinoa and spices. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add that to the pot. Last, stir in ½ cup of medium salsa and bring the whole pot to a simmer. Let the chili cook for at least 20 minutes on medium-low heat.

Top with desired toppings.  

#2,054: Pronto Stuffed Peppers

I was either out of some of the ingredients or I added more of things I had on hand.  Although I thought this was a tad bland (it definitely needs salt and pepper), it still didn't stop me from eating it for 2 meals!  I loved how quickly this was able to be thrown together.  And I am not the biggest fan of soft cooked peppers, so I didn't pre-cook the peppers in the microwave and just cooked it all one time.  Eventually (not a surprise), I ended up throwing away the pepper and just ate the filling.  That's how I pretty much eat regular stuffed peppers anyways though.

Next time I'm going to add some cooked up ground meat (ground pork sausage, leftover taco meat, or chicken sausage would be great I think).  

2 large sweet peppers, halved lengthwise

1 cup canned stewed tomatoes (I hate stewed tomatoes. I used 1/2 can of petite diced)

1/3 cup instant brown rice (I used jasmine rice because it was already cooked and leftover)

2 tablespoons hot water

3/4 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained (out of kidney beans so I used black beans)

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed (sadly I was out of corn) 

2 green onions, thinly sliced
I also threw in some small pieces of fresh broccoli and grated carrots)

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Place peppers in an ungreased shallow microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until tender.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the tomatoes, rice and water. Cover and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in the beans, corn, onions and pepper flakes; spoon into peppers.

Sprinkle with cheeses. Microwave, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 2 servings.

#2,047: Pizza Sliders

My family likes any form of "pizza" and I have been really enjoying Hawaiian roll sandwiches, so when I found this recipe which combines them both, I was very happy!  This filling was enough for us to have this for two dinners, so that made it even better!  (I got 9 sandwiches the first night, and made 12 the 2nd night).  You could easily adapt this to the flavors that you like the best (adding in some chopped veggies or pepperoni!), but my crew prefers just sausage and cheese.

1 package dinner rolls (we used Hawaiian rolls)Small package pepperoni slices (I omitted)

1 lb bulk pork sausage, cooked (I also added some sauteed onions)
1/4 cup tomato sauce (We used a jar of pizza sauce)

About 1 cup of shredded mozzarella (we used thin sliced mozzarella squares)
1/4 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons oregano
I also added a few shakes of garlic powder

Preheat oven to 325F. Slice the sheet of rolls across the middle, resulting in a top layer and bottom layer of 12 connected rolls.

If using sausage, cook it first then mix with the pizza sauce. 

Apply a layer of pizza sauce to the bottom half of the bread. Top with a generous handful of cheese to encourage the pepperoni (or other toppings) to stay in place. Cover with a layer of pepperoni. Place the remaining mozzarella cheese in an even layer over top of the pepperoni and top with the top of the sandwich rolls.(I did a layer of the meat mixture since the sauce was already mixed into it, then topped it with cheese)

Melt the butter in the microwave, heating for 20 seconds and then stirring to dissolve any milk solids. Add the oregano and garlic powder. Pour or brush it on the top of the bread.

Bake the pizza sliders for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and heated through.  If the rolls start to brown too much before the meat is hot and the cheese is melted, cover with foil and continue cooking.  Cut and serve.

#2,037: Squash, Kale, Sausage Inspired Bowls

So I originally found a recipe for Stuffed Spaghetti Squash in a recent issue of taste of home, but I decided to change it up based on the ingredients I had on hand. Actually my only substitution was going to be to use sausage instead of ground beef, but when I picked up my grocery order, there was a butternut squash instead of a spaghetti squash.  And when I went to make it, I realized I didn't have hot sauce, so I figured I couldn't post this as an original recipe review.  I'm still interested in trying it at some point though. 
I really, really, really enjoyed this meal!  It was hearty, filling, and healthy.  I think this would be good with some roasted cauliflower in it too! 

1 medium spaghetti squash (I used a butternut squash, cubed)

1 cup water (I omitted)

3/4 pound lean ground beef (I used bulk pork sausage)

1/2 cup chopped red onion (I used a yellow onion)

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 to 3 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce (I used a few dashes of red pepper flakes)

4 small garlic cloves, minced

1 can (15 ounces) no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups chopped fresh kale

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

I skipped this step and just roasted my butternut squash cubes with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, until it was soft and to my liking).  Trim ends of squash and halve lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash, cut side down, on the trivet in a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. Add water to cooker. Lock lid; make sure vent is closed. Select steam setting; adjust pressure to high and set time for 7 minutes. When squash is finished cooking, quickly release pressure according to the manufacturer's directions. Set squash aside; remove water from cooker.

In a large skillet, crumble beef (I used pork sausage) and cook with onion over medium heat until no longer pink, 4-6 minutes; drain. Add mustard, hot sauce and garlic; cook 1 minute more. Stir in black beans and kale; cook just until wilted, 2-3 minutes.

Using a fork, separate strands of spaghetti squash; combine with meat mixture. Dollop servings with Greek yogurt.