Stuffed Peppers with Grits and Sausage

Oh my...we loved this. Cheesy grits and spicy sausage made for a filling, well, filling. And the addition of grape tomatoes and fresh basil allowed us to use some produce from our garden and made the dish seem more summer-y. Not to mention how pretty is the final result? I served ours with roasted Brussels sprouts. Perfect summer meal.

 

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Stuffed Peppers with Grits and Sausage

{Southern Living magazine}

 

3 large red bell peppers (about 20 oz.)

1 Tablespoon canola oil

3 hot Italian pork sausage links (casings removed)

1 cup chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup coarse cornmeal

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup), divided

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups heirloom grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup basil leaves

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Microwave bell peppers on high 2 minutes to soften slightly. Cut bell peppers in half through the stem. Remove seeds and white membranes using a serrated tomato corer or melon baller, leaving stem intact. Discard seeds and membranes.

 

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage to skillet; cook 4 minutes, stirring to break into small pieces. Add onion to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked and onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Remove sausage mixture from pan. Add cornmeal to skillet; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, milk, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt to skillet; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, sausage mixture, and half of the cheese. Divide mixture evenly among bell pepper halves. Place side by side on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

 

Bake in preheated oven until cheese is browned and peppers are tender, about 30 minutes.

 

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, black pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add tomatoes and basil; toss to coat. Serve over peppers. (I did this but didn't photograph it...it was a tasty addition to the stuffed peppers!)

 

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Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Summer is winding down, and I'm not happy about it!

 



Cheeseburger Pizza

When you can't decide between a cheeseburger or a slice of pizza, why not have both? This is a fun recipe too because you could easily add any of your other tried-and-true burger toppings. I may add a few dill pickles next time! The original recipe calls for a homemade pizza crust, but I don't have the time or the patience for that. I always buy the package of 2 premade crusts at Kroger and make 2 pizzas. Makes dinnertime so easy. Kids love this meal too, and I thought it turned out really pretty. Y'all know I love food that tastes AND looks good! :) Enjoy!

 

 

Cheeseburger Pizza

{Southern Living magazine}

 

Premade pizza crust of your choosing

12 ounces ground beef

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup chopped yellow onion

3/4 cup jarred pasta sauce

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups pre-shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives

1/4 cup ketchup

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven according to premade pizza crust package directions. (Brands may vary slightly.)

 

Cook ground beef in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high, stirring often, until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

 

Add mushrooms to hot drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden (about 5 minutes).

 

Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown. Remove mushrooms and onions with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

 

Brush premade crust with olive oil.

 

Top crust with pizza sauce, beef, mushroom-onion mixture, shredded cheeses, and olives. Drizzle with ketchup.

 

Place pizza on middle of oven rack and bake for 8-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

 

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Hope everyone has a happy Hump Day!

 

 

Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken

Holy smokes, this was probably one of the easiest things I've ever made...and it was so yummy, guys! Rob said it was his new favorite way to have tacos. Winning!

I know everyone and their brother has heard of Skinnytaste, but this was my first time making one of her recipes. I was so impressed and can't wait to try out more of her stuff.

Has anyone made this before? Any other Skinnytaste recipes you love and recommend?

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Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken

{Skinnytaste}

1 1/2 pounds raw, skinless chicken tenders

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt, to taste

16 oz. Roasted Salsa Verde (I used the Herdez brand)

Season chicken with garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and salt and place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Cover chicken with salsa verde and cook on high for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove chicken from pot and shred. Remove 2/3 cup of liquid in the pot and discard or set aside. Place shredded chicken back into the crock pot and stir to combine with remaining salsa. Adjust seasoning if needed and keep warm until ready to serve.
 

 

I served our chicken with corn tortillas and a few toppings. I've found the best way to heat corn tortillas is to stack and wrap them in a damp paper towel, then microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

 

Spoon chicken mixture over tortillas. Any other toppings are up to you, but I thought a dollop of sour cream kind of calmed down the spicy chicken. I also added a slice of avocado to each taco, along with cilantro (from our garden!), and a few pickled jalapenos.

 

We're having this again tonight, and I'm honestly counting down the minutes until dinner!

 

And below is a pic of the brand of salsa verde I used. I thought it was great.

 

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Hope y'all have a great day!