Stuffed Pepper Skillet Meal

A few years ago, my garden produced an unbelievable amount of green bell peppers. We lived on some fertile sandy soil and must have gotten perfect conditions for pepper growing that year because I haven't had much luck with peppers since then. We had what seemed like bushels of peppers that year. Luckily my husband loves stuffed peppers. Honestly, before I met him I didn't know that anyone really loved stuffed peppers. I always tolerated them when my mom made them, but I have started liking them much more now.

That summer I made lots of stuffed peppers. I would make the filling then stuff it into the raw peppers, wrap them really well and stick them in the freezer. It was so easy to just take out one for Wyatt and I to share when Rog was working late, and also easy  for Rog to take one out of the freezer and zap in the microwave to heat up when he came home. I have seen recipes that instruct you to mix up the filling ingredients with raw meat and pack it in the peppers before baking, kind of like a mini meatloaf, but that always sounded gross to me, so I brown my ground beef before mixing the rest of the stuff in with it.

Now I have an even easier way to make my husband's beloved stuffed peppers. I use all the same ingredients, but I chop up the peppers and put everything in a skillet to cook on the stove top. Much faster and easier to both make and eat. My kids even really like it. Sometimes I will also use these same basic ingredients plus some beef broth and tomato sauce and make Stuffed Pepper Soup.

Here's what you'll need:

 

Pay no attention to the wild child in the back.

Stuffed Pepper Skillet

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 or 2 green bell peppers, diced

½ C white rice

½ C water

1(16 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 TB worcestershire sauce

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Shredded cheese, about 1 cup or less

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid.  A few minutes before it is done, add in the onion and peppers. When the beef is done, drain and return to skillet. Add in the rice, water, and other remaining ingredients except the cheese. Cover the skillet, bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese. Enjoy!

The night I made this I served it with a salad and some cantaloupe that my trusty helper scooped out.

Maybe not the most photogenic meal, but definitely a quick, cheap, filling dish that tastes great, too! Also, don't you love how my "Here's what you need" picture really only shows half the stuff you need? Nothing short of perfection here, folks!