Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

Julia   

Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 medium zucchini, quartered
• 2 bell peppers, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 C cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
• 1 T minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• 4 portabella mushroom caps

Directions

Begin by washing the mushroom caps.  To do so, remove the stems, scrape out the gills and clean with a damp paper towel.  Place the mushroom caps facing upwards on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Season with garlic, salt and pepper.  Then, bake at 400 for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and carefully scoop out the liquid pooling in the mushrooms. 

Meanwhile, brown the ground Italian sausage (we used turkey sausage) until cooked.  Add the diced zucchini, bell peppers and cook for 5-7 minutes until veggies are crisp tender.  Add the diced tomatoes in the last 2 minutes of cooking.  Season with basil and oregano. 

Fill each mushroom cap with the veggie filling. 

Top each with a slice of cheese and return to the oven, cooking for 10-12 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the cheese is melted. 

Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

Crockpot Stuffed Bell Peppers

Crockpot Stuffed Bell Peppers

Julia   

Crockpot meals are a favorite of ours around here.  As a working wife, it is a treat to be able to come home and not have to start cooking dinner!  The house smells amazing and dinner is just about ready.  I love that. 

We are always looking for new crockpot ideas, and this stuffed bell pepper recipe uses some of our fall favorites (wild rice!) in a new way. 

The result was a meal we’ll definitely make again and again. 

Crockpot Stuffed Bell Peppers – Adapted from Family Fresh Meals

Ingredients

• 5-6 medium bell peppers
• 1 C cooked wild rice
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian turkey sausage, browned
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1 C shredded Colby Jack or Monterrey Jack Cheese
• 1 C chicken broth

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together 1 C cooked wild rice, browned Italian sausage, 3/4 of the can of rinsed and drained diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Mix in 1 egg and 3/4 C of cheese. 

Stir well. 

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds from the inside. 

Using a cookie scoop, fill the bell peppers with the rice mixture.  Top with remaining tomatoes.

Place the peppers into a lightly greased crockpot, arranged in a single layer over the bottom of the crockpot.  Pour over 1 C chicken broth. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  Roughly 15 minutes before serving, top with the remaining 1/4 C cheese.  Or, if you forget, just top with cheese before serving. 

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Skillet Lasagna

Skillet Lasagna

Julia   

With school back in session, quick weeknight dinners are a must.  This one is quick, and requires just one pan and the leftovers (if there are any) are a huge win too.

 

Skillet Lasagna – Adapted from The Apple of My Eye

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage (or turkey sausage)
• 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. minced onion
• 1/2 C shredded carrots
• 2 cans (14oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• pinch of cinnamon
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
• 1/3 C water
• 1/2 C shredded Mozzarella cheese and/or 1/4 C Parmesan cheese
• 6 T ricotta cheese
• Parsley for garnish

Directions

Brown the ground Italian sausage in the bottom of a large skillet until cooked through.  Drain the grease and set aside for a moment.  Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic and salt and pepper, sautéing until the mushrooms are soft and the excess liquid has evaporated. 

Add in the shredded carrots and the sausage.  Stir well.

Place the broken apart lasagna noodles over the meat mixture.  Then pour in both cans of diced tomatoes (undrained), and the can of tomato sauce. 

Top with 1 tsp. basil and 1 tsp. oregano along with a pinch of cinnamon.

Pour over 1/3 C water. 

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring 1-2 times during the cooking process. 

Meanwhile, shred the mozzarella cheese, or slice it if you are using fresh.  Set aside. 

When noodles are al dente, remove the cover and dollop on the 6 T of ricotta cheese as well as the mozzarella and/or Parmesan. 

Garnish with parsley, if desired. 

Serve warm.