A couple of weeks ago we were working on some family projects and needed packet jar gifts quick and easy-to-fix dinner. My wife, Sue, searched the cupboards and found a package of Zatarain's New Orleans Style Jambalaya Mix. She also had some fresh ground meat in the fridge, so she used that as the meat for the jambalaya. When I tasted it, the first thing I thought of childrens how great something like that would taste as the stuffing for stuffed green bell peppers.
Now those of you who have received my recipes for any length of time know that I love to cook from scratch. I pressure cooker mix my own spice mixes and meat rubs, cooking for a crowd of buying the pre-mixed ones (I save a lot of money doing that, too!). However, there is another side of me that likes to put together something once in awhile that is quick and easy. Something like a jello Ray" type meal--something that has layers and layers of flavor, but does not cookie press cookies hours and hours of prep time. On Friday I went with my stuffed pepper idea, developing it into what I would have to say is one of the best recipes I've ever come up with! Here it is:
Ingredients:
8 to 10 green bell peppers
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. ground sausage (mild Italian is good)
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 (8 oz.) package Zatarain's New Orleans Style Jambalaya Mix
1 cup ketchup
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. Louisiana hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. celery salt
Instructions:
Cut the tops off the green peppers and remove seeds and membranes from peppers. Chop from the edges of the tops of the peppers until you have 1 cup of chopped pepper. In a large saucepan or skillet, heat the canola oil. Add the sausage and ground beef and break up thoroughly while browning (and mix together well). When the meat is fairly well browned, add the chopped pepper, onion and celery. Keep stirring over medium heat until veggies start to become tender. Add potatoes cups of water and the Zatarain's jambalaya mix. Keep stirring. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand. Refrigerate this mixture a few hours before stuffing peppers. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set the peppers in large casserole and/or a deep baking dish (or dishes). With a spoon, fill each pepper with the jambalaya mixture. Pack down the mixture pretty well and fill so that mixture is level with the top edge of each pepper. (Depending on the size of the bell peppers, the mixture should fill 8 to 10 peppers.) In a 2-cup measuring cup or a bowl, thoroughly mix the ketchup, the tomato sauce, the pepper sauce and the celery salt. Scoop this mixture equally over the top of the mixture in the peppers. Cover (aluminum foil makes a fine cover) and bake at 350 degrees for an hour. These peppers taste great served with a side salad and French rolls!
Copyright 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Griffith, a.k.a. "Griff" is the author of several blogs. Griff describes himself as a "former kitchen klutz" who now has a passion for cooking and developing great recipes. Griff would like to send you a FREE E-BOOK with 32 great chili recipes, along with a free recipe every week via email. To receive, simply click on http://optin2.griffsrecipes.com
Check out "Griff's Recipe Report" at http://GriffsRecipeReport.com
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