Stuffed Bell Peppers

This past weekend I tried my hand at stuffed bell peppers. Oh sure, I could have used a recipe  but where's the fun in that? Let's be real, I love a recipe but the only time I ever follow one is if I'm baking (but that's more like chemistry really). Usually, I just read the one I like, see what I have around that's similar (or go shopping If I'm feeling really ambitious) and then just sort of wing it. Luckily, I've been free form cooking long enough that I've figured out a few solid satisfying go-to's.

That brings me back to the stuffed bell pepper, my latest no-recipe recipe.

You'll need:

• Lean organic ground beef 
• (the amount depends on how many you're serving and if you are going to use a grain as well - I used one small package and had left overs) 
• BBQ Sauce or marinade (I like Stubb's)
• Sriracha (optional)
• Bell peppers (one per person)
• Onions
• Rice or quinoa (make ahead)
• Spinach 
• Cheese 
• Seasonings (garlic and pepper at the very least) 
• Olive oil

Method:
Chop up your onion and mix it with your beef and seasonings, saute beef mixture with your sauce in a lightly oiled pan, adding the sriracha to taste (I like it hot). While all that is simmering away on your stove top, chop the tops off your peppers and core them (make sure you remove all those pesky seeds), place peppers in a shallow baking dish and set aside.

Add spinach, and/or your grains to the beef mixture. The spinach will cook down and you'll hardly notice it, but you'll get all those nutritional extras. The grains are optional, based on your preference. I had some left over rice from an earlier dinner, so I added just a tiny bit to my mix.

Once your beef is cooked through, immediately remove from heat, you don't want to over cook it. Fill your peppers with your mixture, grate cheese generously over it all and pop in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Keep an eye on 'em and remove once the peppers begin to look roasty and the cheese has browned. That's it!

Eat up buttercup.

Image via yours truly.