That Mom Who Works…

So I haven’t posted in awhile. A very very long while. However, it was my New Year’s resolution to keep this active. One post a week is (was) my goal and already I have failed miserably at it. Sigh.

But here we go. I have been meaning to post this recipe for quite some time. As most people know, I have a really hard time coming up with dinners my family will like. Even if I can get through this first step, actually cooking them is really really hard. I mean, with three little kids running around and a full-time job, there just doesn’t seem to be time. Add in the fact that I don’t eat gluten, and we basically eat the same three meals every week with some takeout added in for good measure.

That being said, this stuffed pepper recipe has been one that has become part of our regular rotation. Let me tell you why and if you can relate to the below than I urge you to make it ASAP:

1. It is super easy to make. So easy that I have never complained about it. This alone is enough to try it out.
2. It tastes good. My husband and I both like it, and my kids will actually eat it. The recipe also allows for extra filling, so if someone doesn’t like peppers they can just eat the yummy inside part!
3. It is gluten free.
4. It is healthy – for someone who is consistently watching what he or she eats, it is perfect. You can also add more or less cheese, customizing it for you. It also works well the next day for lunch or dinner leftovers.
5. It is easy to make ahead and reheat. I know, I know, the secret to healthy home-cooked meals in a working mom family is meal prep, right? Well I have a hard time with that. I barely have enough time on Sunday to make one meal for THAT night, let alone several meals for the week. But, if I make these stuffed peppers on Sunday, I can get two meals out of them, and maybe even a lunch or two for me, especially because there is some extra filling.

A few other things to keep in mind – I like to make these with ground turkey, I like the taste and its healthier, but if you prefer ground beef you could do that too! I would just encourage you to strain the extra grease. Also, if you are really watching calories or are dairy free and want to forgo the cheese, go ahead! Its a yummy add-in but not necessary. I add the cheese in the mixture, but then don’t add the extra cheese on top and allow the person who is eating that pepper make the decision if they want to reheat it with some extra cheese. Which brings me to this point – you can easily make these on Sunday, and then eat them individually throughout the week as well. Last – I prefer the colorful red and yellow peppers for this recipe. If you are a green pepper fan, that’s fine too! Pair this recipe with a salad, baked potatoes, or heck, even french fries and you have a delicious meal!

Ingredients:

• 6 Bell Peppers
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• Crushed tomatoes – 14 oz, I usually do a little less than half of the 28 oz can. (I have also used the diced tomatoes with chilies, and regular diced tomatoes. Either will work)
• 1 cup of pasta sauce – preferably Bertolli Rustic Cut (the hearty vegetables add perfectly to the recipe)
• 2 cups brown rice, cooked (I use the Minute Instant Rice cups – literally they cook in one minute, great time saver)
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp of salt + additional salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (preferably cheddar)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut the tops of the peppers and scoop out the insides. Add the peppers to a large pot of boiling water and boil for five minutes. While the peppers are boiling, you can begin the below steps. When peppers are done boiling set aside on a paper towel.
3. Cook rice and set aside – if you use the minute cups this will literally take you two minutes 🙂
4. In a large pan or skillet, heat olive oil. Then add garlic and the onion and saute until the onion is tender (approximately 3 minutes).
5. Add the turkey to the pan and cook until done, making sure to break it up while cooking.
6. Once turkey is thoroughly cooked add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, rice, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Mix together until blended well. At this point, you can add more tomato sauce, salt and pepper to your liking.
7. Turn heat off. Place peppers in lightly greased baking dish (preferably 13 x 9). Add the rice and turkey mixture to the insides of the peppers. If you have leftover “filling” save it! This can be eaten separately!
8. Bake the peppers uncovered for 25-30 minutes.
9. Add the remaining cheese to the tops of the peppers and bake an additional five minutes.

Enjoy! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Okay – so since this is my first post of a recipe, let me just put it on the table – I hate cooking. Now, I think if I didn’t have a full-time job plus three kids to take care of, that might be different. At this point, however, our nights are so hectic, between practices, homework, packing lunches, baths, and whatever else happens to get crammed in there I have ZERO time to think about dinner. And before you tell me, let me just say, YES, in a perfect world, I would meal prep everything on Sunday and have all my food for the week. Oddly though, being one of two of my only free days all week long, meal prep is the last thing I want to do on a Sunday.

So, its safe to say, on this blog you will probably never find complicated recipes or meals. However, when and if I happen to come across some amazing quick and easy meals I will share them with all the other mothers out there that loathe meal prep as much as I do – of course, now that I have my instapot this has all changed. Let’s be honest. My life has changed – I highly recommend all moms buy the instapot ASAP.

Anyways, this recipe, pasta with chicken sausage and broccoli, is a non-instapot recipe and it is still AMAZING. It meets all of my ideal meal requirements: 1) it is super easy to make (like, under 20 minutes easy); 2) my kids think it tastes amazing and they actually eat it (all three of them); 3) its actually healthy. You can also make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free pasta, or even set aside the broccoli and sausage after it is cooked and add it to a smaller portion of gluten free pasta if you need to (this is what I do for myself.)

The grocery store I frequent has great chicken sausage with kale that works really well in this recipe, but you could really use any chicken sausage or even sweet Italian sausage. I also recommend using the steamable frozen broccoli for ease.

Also, sometimes after I make this there seems to be too little cheese, so I add more. Sometimes I want more olive oil, so I add more. This recipe is really flexible and can be made to your family’s preferred tastes!

So there you have it – it is the perfect meal. I can’t remember where I initially found the recipe, or else I would just link to that amazing person’s page, but I have changed it a little, but here it is:

Ingredients:

1 Box (12 oz) Pasta (I recommend shells or bowties, definitely not traditional spaghetti or angel hair)
12-14 oz of  sausage – I recommend chicken so it is healthier, but sweet Italian sausage would work fine too
12 oz steam in the bag frozen broccoli
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp Garlic Power
1/3 Cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese
Additional grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese for topping

Instructions:
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8

1. Boil salted water; add pasta and cook as per instructions on the box, drain and set aside.
2. Cook broccoli according to package directions
3. While pasta and broccoli are cooking, remove chicken sausage from the casing and cook on medium heat in a pan until cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks so that it is crumbly. Remove sausage from heat and set aside.
4. Take broccoli out of steam bag, drain excess liquid, and chop up additionally into smaller pieces (especially if you are making this for kids – the smaller the broccoli, the more likely they are to eat it).
5. Add olive oil to large bowl or pasta pot. Mix in garlic powder. Add pasta, broccoli, and sausage and grated cheese. Mix well.
6. Add additional cheese once served!