A Better Stuffed Pepper

Dad made this recipe one weekend Carol and I were visiting in State College. We both liked it much better than usual stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice.


STUFFED PEPPERS MEXICAN STYLE

5 medium (4 large) green bell peppers
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion
1/2 cup frozen chopped green pepper
1 pkg Old El Paso Taco seasoning mix
3/8 cup water
1 can (8 oz) corn niblets, drained
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans in chili sauce
1/2 cup mild salsa
1/2 cup crushed Fritos
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Sour cream


Wash, halve and remove seeds and white membrane from green peppers leaving a clean shell. Place in boiling salted water and boil for 3 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain and set aside.
Sauté chopped onion and pepper with drippings in a large frying pan for about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and break up and brown. Stir in seasoning mix, water, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salsa, beans and corn and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Fill pepper halves mounding slightly. (At this point they may be wrapped in foil and frozen.) Place stuffed peppers in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with crushed Frito crumbs. Add 1 tbsp of water to baking dish and bake in a 375 F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.


Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and have sour cream available.

If frozen, thaw, add 1 tbsp water to bottom of baking pan, heat in 400 F oven wrapped in foil for 20 minutes. Unwrap, sprinkle with crushed Frito crumbs and continue baking in 400 F oven for an additional 23 to 25 minutes.


We served this with jello salad and rice.

When the "Steaks" are high (Herbed Sirloin Tip Roast)

Talk about job pressure. As I'm leaving work Friday afternoon, my second level boss says, "Ken, what are you making this weekend?" I hope this meal is mentioned at my next performance review.

HERBED SIRLOIN TIP ROAST

2 lb sirloin tip rolled roast
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp shortening

Rinse and pat dry the roast. Crush and mix the herbs and spices, then sprinkle and pat all over the roast.
If you do not have a cooking mortar and pestle it's time to get one.

It really is a great help in crushing spices, particularly rosemary.


In a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, melt the shortening and sear the roast 2-3 minutes on all sides until dark and crusted.


Place the roast on a rack in the skillet and put in a 325 F oven on the bottom rack until the internal temperature is 150 F (about 1 1/4 hrs). Let rest for 10 minutes and slice thin across the grain.


For a sauce, mix 1 package of McCormicks Au Jus with 2 cups of water and the deglazed drippings from the skillet.







ONION ROASTED POTATOES

1/2 pkg Lipton's onion soup mix
1 lb potatoes (4 medium or 6 small)
3 tbsp olive oil
Sour cream (optional)

Peel potatoes and cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks. Put onion mix in a plastic bag, add potato chunks and shake until potatoes are coated with the onion mix. Empty potatoes into a shallow baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 30 minutes in a 425 F oven or until potatoes are tender and golden brown. Roll potatoes once or twice during roasting. Serve with sour cream if desired. Serves 4. (Rev. 11/5/93)

JELLO WITH DARK CHERRIES
1 pkg black cherry Jello
1 can (15 oz) dark cherries, well drained
1 cup boiling water
1 cup liquid, reserved syrup with water added
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 1/4 inch

Prepare Jello according to directions in a 1 1/2 quart dish. Refrigerate for 45 minutes, and stir in cherries and walnuts. Refrigerate for a total of 4 hours.


The roast was incredibly tender.

I did the potatoes on the grill in a roasting pan using the indirect heating method.

Carol and are going to have the Jello with black cherries and walnuts for an evening snack.