Stuffed Green Peppers

The first time I ever tried stuffed green peppers was on my mission in Washington D.C. I don't remember ever enjoying peppers before I served my mission in D.C. I was definitely missing out. I LOVE peppers now. They have so much flavor and they are so good for you! Okay, below is the original recipe, but we made some changes I wanted to mention. First, we cut the recipe in half. We used 1/2 lb. ground turkey instead of beef and it was delicious. We cooked the rice separately and added it to the tomato mixture to warm with the mixture. We added more Worcestershire sauce to the mixture and didn't even bother to use and pour the tomato sauce on top. We cut the peppers in half length-wise and filled each pepper halved. It was perfect for us with the changes.

Ingredients

• 6 green bell peppers
• salt to taste
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• water as needed

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour over the peppers.
4. Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Note: The changes in the recipe would make the calories and fat less than below per serving.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 min. Cook time: 30 min. Ready in: 1 hour
Amount per serving: 467 calories, 24.3 grams fat

Eggplant Parmesan

When I told my husband that Eggplant Parmesan was on the menu for the week I think he though I was crazy, but he's always willing to try something new. This recipe is so, so delicious and it's pretty healthy! While I baked the eggplant I simply warmed some pasta sauce, cooked some spaghetti and layered each plate with pasta, eggplant slice, sauce, and cheese. It was so easy and was much faster. We cut all the ingredients down and only used one large eggplant. Below is the full recipe if you would like to bake everything together in the oven. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese . Place in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with a little olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes on each side.
3. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Servings: 5
Prep time: 25 min. Cook time: 35 min. Ready in: 1 hour
Amount per serving: 487 calories, 16 grams fat