Sunday Funday

March 20, 2012

Sunday nights are one of my favorite nights of the week. The Mr. and I have made it a tradition to do our weekly trip to Trader Joe’s, make an extra yummy dinner, and watch a Netflix  as we wind the weekend down and get ready for the work week (currently we’re finishing up season 1 of Friday Night Lights). This past Sunday was exceptionally nice as I had been out of town all week for work and just as I was getting back, the Mr. was heading to Tahoe for some March Madness mayhem with his boys, so we were finally reunited.

While I enjoy trying new recipes and received quite a few great cookbooks as wedding gifts, I am no expert in the kitchen. However, I would say that my talent lies in being creative with what we have on hand and throwing something together to form a new concoction. One favorite that I like to make is stuffed peppers, and the recipe pretty much changes every time. This past Sunday’s version was pretty tasty and VERY easy, so I thought I’d share!

Ingredients:

  • Sausage with the skin removed
  • Risotto or orzo
  • Bell peppers
  • Cream of (your choice) soup
  • Veggies of your choice (I used artichokes this time but broccoli or asparagus are good too)
  • Salt and pepper

While making dinner, we like to start off with some wine and a little bread with oil and balsamic. Trader Joe’s has this AMAZING whole wheat loaf that’s not fully baked that we love. Just plop it in the oven for a bit and it tastes like freshly based bread. So good.

First, remove the sausage from the skin and cook in a skillet or pan (ground turkey or beef could work too!) and add in veggies of choice. I used sweet Italian chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s and artichoke hearts.

Make your risotto or orzo according to directions (2-1 water ratio, boil and simmer until water has evaporated). Cut off the tops of the bell peppers, remove the seeds and boil for about 5-10 minutes. Boil on the longer side if you want your pepper softer. I prefer a little crunch to mine so I don’t leave it in too long.

Add cream of (your choice) soup to the risotto or orzo and mix in the meat and veggies and salt and pepper and any other spices of your liking.

Drain peppers, place in baking dish and scoop the goods in them. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden at 350 degrees.

We  like to add a little parmesan on top and eat with a some hot sauce or sriracha and of course, a glass of wine 😉