There are so many chores outside this time of year on our little patch of heaven: readying the gardens for the planting of produce and herbs, caring for our little flock of chickens, mowing grass on a regular basis and hanging clothes out on the line, weather permitting. I honestly love the busyness of spring and the good appetites that come with it.

What doesn’t come so easily is time to cook supper. That’s when I dig out my “speed scratch” recipes – main meals that use prepared ingredients to, well, speed things up.

One of our family favorites is this cherished stuffed bell pepper recipe. Originally from Maggie Hoerst, my daughter-in-law Jessie’s, mom, this recipe uses a boxed Spanish rice mix which serves as the grain base for the stuffing. 

Now for those of you who have the time and inclination to make a batch of stuffed bell peppers from scratch, try Jenn Segal’s recipe. My slight adaptation of that is on my abouteating.com site. I think you’ll love that recipe, too.

One more thing with Mother’s Day coming up. I want to wish each of you, regardless of the role you play in “mothering” those you love, a most wonderful day. Allow yourself a bit of mothering, too!

Speed scratch stuffed bell pepper halves

Ingredients

3 large colored bell peppers

1 to 1-1/4 pounds ground beef – I used chuck 

1/4 cup onion, diced fine

1 clove garlic, minced

1 box Spanish rice, cooked according to package directions and set aside (I used Zatarain’s Spanish rice mix, 6.9 oz)

2 tomatoes, diced small – I used Roma’s

2  cups Parmesan or Provolone cheese shredded – I used a combo of both

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut peppers in half from stem to bottom. 

Put bell pepper shells in sprayed oven proof casserole. If necessary, cut off a tiny piece from bottoms so they lay flat. Set aside while cooking filling.

Film bottom of large skillet over medium heat with a bit olive oil. 

Stir in beef and onion, smooshing to break meat up, until meat is cooked.

Stir in cooked Spanish rice, tomatoes and 1 cup of cheese, until mixture is well blended. Adjust seasonings.

Fill shells with meat mixture. 

Pour a little water in bottom of pan to create steam during cooking. Cover with foil.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake 30 minutes or until shells are cooked to your liking. 

Sprinkle with more cheese and run under broiler to melt. 

Tip: Buy extra bell peppers on sale and freeze

Dice them into suitable pieces, place in single layer on tray and freeze until hard, uncovered.Then place in containers. That way the pieces stay separate and easy to pour out. Use in recipes that are cooked.

Stuffed bell pepper halves from scratch

Ingredients

3 large colored bell peppers, cut in half from top to bottom, cored
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced – a good 3 cloves
1 pound  lean ground beef
1-1⁄2 teaspoons chili powder
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
8 oz tomato sauce
1 cup cooked rice
2 cups/8 oz shredded favorite cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425. Spray a 9×13 oven proof casserole. 

Place the peppers, cut side up, in the baking dish; drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt. 

Roast peppers 20 minutes, until slightly browned and crisp tender. A bit of liquid will accumulate in bottom of pan. 

As peppers cook, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook 1 minute more; do not brown. Add beef, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, smooshing meat up, until meat is browned and almost cooked through. 

Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, until the meat is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cooked rice and 1 cup of the cheese, and stir until cheese is melted. Remove skillet from heat and adjust seasonings. 

Remove peppers from the oven and spoon filling evenly into the peppers. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place back in the oven. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbling, and serve.

Slightly adapted from Jenn Segal. Check her onceuponachef site. One of the best!

Tip: Peppers can be roasted ahead and reheated before filling.