Bacon-wrapped Stuffed Pepper

Hearty and filling, these peppers are great served as a single meal with a side of crisped bread.


You will need:


- 4 large bell peppers your choice of color, seeds and ribs removed - reserve top
- 1 cup cooked wild rice - don't measure from uncooked since it will be different
- 1 cup whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 8oz can cream of mushroom soup
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
- 1 small white onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 8 slices bacon, cooked until almost done but still soft and slightly pink

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix together  rice, corn, beans, 1 cup cheddar, soup, jalapenos, onion and garlic.  Mix thoroughly and stuff each pepper evenly and tightly.  Top each with 1/4 of the reserved cheddar and 2 slices bacon (you can actually wrap bacon around them. Just secure it with toothpicks that have been soaked in water).  Place in a baking dish and tent with foil, baking until pepper can be easily pierced with a fork- approximately 35 - 40 minutes. Remove foil and turn on broiler to crisp bacon (if not already) - leave oven open a crack while doing this.

Allow to cool 5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Cooking

As many of you know, I love to cook and, on occasion, am quite good at it. Id be more than willing to share my recipes but I generally dont keep very good track of them. Most of them I dont even write down, I just remember them.

I wanted to share some tips as well as some recipes so here is the first one of many.

Stuffed Tomatoes

I like to make these for lunch or as appetizers.* What you need

-4 Large red tomatoes

-3 cans chunk chicken, drained

-1/2 to 3/4 cup mayo depending on how wet you like it (I use Best Foods)

-1/4 cup chopped walnuts

-2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Origional Seasoning

-1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack/Shreddeded Cheddar

-3 green onions, chopped

-1 tsp each salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika

-non-stick aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top off tomatoes, about 1/4 of the way down. Use a spoon to remove seeds and pulp along with any excess ribbing. Set aside on baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, dump canned chicken and shred with a fork. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine mayo, Mrs. Dash, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Mix thoroughly and combine with chicken, making sure it is coated evenly. Mix in 1/2 cup of cheese and chopped walnuts.

Sprinkle a small amount of the remaining cheese in the bottom of each tomato cup. Carefully spoon in chicken salad mixture until cups are almost full and top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle chopped green onions on top.

Carefully wrap each tomatoe in aluminum foil, non-stick side facing tomatoes, and place in the oven on the middle rack. Let cook for 15 minutes or until warmed through. Pull back aluminum foil to expose the tomatoes and let cook an additional 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Its as simple as that. Once done, remove the foil, plate and enjoy. The chicken salad along with the fresh tomato creates a fresh and savory treat.

*In order to make this as an appetizer, simply swap the large tomatoes for roma tomatoes that have been cut in half and cleaned. Place in muffin tins and cover with foil.

This chicken salad mixture is also exceptional on a croissant :)