Breakfast Stuffed Peppers

These yummy bell peppers made for a great start to the day.  They were easy to put together, and the leftovers were delicious too. 

If you’re looking for a hearty back-to-school breakfast that relies on fresh garden produce, this is just for you!

Breakfast Stuffed Peppers – Inspired from Mama Nibbles
Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 strips bacon, cooked
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• 1/8 C crushed frozen spinach
• 1/2 small summer squash
• 6-8 grape or cherry tomatoes
• Extra sharp white cheddar cheese, to taste
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C milk

Directions

Begin by slicing the bell peppers in half and removing the core and seeds.  Place bell peppers onto a lightly greased, and tinfoil lined cookie sheet, open side up. 

Quarter half of a summer squash and slice the grape tomatoes into rounds.  Combine in a microwave safe bowl and season with salt, pepper and minced onion.  Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir and microwave for 30 seconds more. 

Meanwhile, chop up the cooked bacon and divide it evenly between the four bell pepper halves. Sprinkle some cheese on top.  Divide 1/8 C frozen chopped spinach among the bell peppers as well. 

Fill the bell peppers with the squash and tomato mixture.  You’ll want to make sure the bell peppers are nice and level, so use little balls of tinfoil, if needed, to level out the peppers.  This will help prevent run-off in the next step.

Whip the eggs and mix in 1/2 C milk.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Pour about 1/4 C of the egg mixture into each bell pepper.  Top with additional cheese. 

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. 

Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

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Loaded Baked Potato Dip w/ Potato Dippers!

March in my life used to be synonymous with the start of the synchronized swimming season and I honestly never cared about basketball. 

Then, I met and married Frog Prince. 

As our pastor stated this weekend – marriage is 10% compatibility, 90% work.  Part of that 90% work for me was learning to enjoy basketball. 

I believe that was largely helped by living in Green & White territory for 5 years while a grad student at Michigan State University. 

Now, March rolls around and I know what’s coming.  We’re rooting for the Spartans and the Syracuse Orange from here until the end. 

Necessity during March Madness? Good food, of course!  Last year it was Pizza Dip. 

This year, loaded baked potato dip with potato dippers!  Perfect addition to any game. 

Loaded Baked Potato Dip with Potato Dippers – Adapted from BHG

Ingredients

• 6 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese
• 1 heaping cup diced broccoli florets
• 2 T cooked, crumbled bacon
• 1/2 C finely chopped spinach
• 1 T minced onion
• 1/2 C extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 T salsa, if desired
• 6-8 Russet potatoes, washed & unpeeled
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Olive oil spray

Directions

Cube up the cream cheese and place that into a small crockpot. 

Add in 1 C (heaping) diced, steamed broccoli florets. 

Sprinkle in 1 T minced onion, 1/2 C finely chopped spinach (we used frozen), 2 T crumbled cooked bacon and stir well. 

If desired add in 2 T salsa. 

Turn on the crockpot to low/medium and heat for 1 hour until cream cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. 

Stir in cheddar cheese.  Then, reduce the heat to low or “keep warm”; your cheese dip is ready. 

About 40 minutes before you are ready to enjoy your appetizers, use a mandolin slicer (watch those fingers!) and thinly slice the potatoes lengthwise into thin slices. 

Place the potatoes onto a cookie sheet covered in tinfoil (trust me, they will come off much better on the tinfoil than just the cookie sheet).  Spray the tinfoil with olive oil and then layer the potatoes over the top, watching to make sure there are not overlapping potatoes. 

Spray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Bake at 450 degrees for 25-35 minutes until potatoes are lightly browned and crunchy. 

Use the potatoes as a dipper for the loaded baked potato dip! 

Go Green! 

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Ingredient Spotlight: Bacon

Today for Ingredient Spotlight, Tiffany is hosting BACON-FEST!  You know you enjoy a good strip of bacon now and again – so go check out some amazing recipes. 

A few of our favorite bacon recipes include:

Breakfast Pizza
Get the recipe here.

Breakfast “Hot Pockets”
Get the recipe here.

Christmas Eggs
Get the recipe here. 

Bacon & Egg Grilled Cheese
Get the recipe here.

Cheddar Chicken & Rice Soup
Get the recipe here.

Olive Garden Zuppa Tuscana Soup
Get the recipe here.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey
{works for chicken too!}
Get the recipe here.

Cheesy Bacon & Brown Rice Casserole
Get the recipe here.

Baked Potato Pizza
Get the recipe here.

and, Smothered Aussie Chicken
Get the recipe here. 

Now, go, off to link up your bacon recipes, or find some new ones!  You can find the linky here. 

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Winter Minestrone

The colder the weather, the heartier the soup.  Or, the more soups pinned on Pinterest.  And, apparently it’s been pretty cold in southern CA….

Soups are associated with cold weather. 

Except when I traveled to Ecuador.

We ate soup when it was warmer than 85 degrees; for this girl living near 45 degrees latitude, that was a strange thing. 

Since summer is still months away, I’ll enjoy my soup. 

It’s hearty, tasty and easy to put together.  There are 6 veggies in this soup along with yummy broth and delicious herbs.  It was fantastic served with olive oil garlic bread.   

When it’s 85, I’ll take a bowl of ice cream instead. 

Winter Minestrone – Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 T minced onion
• 2 C sliced carrots
• 1 C sliced celery
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 C diced tomatoes (either fresh or canned)
• 6 C chicken stock
• 2 C water
• 1 (15 oz) can Pinto beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 C cooked pasta (small shape preferred)
• 1-2 C broken or chopped spinach leaves
• 1/4 C white cooking wine
• 2-4 T Parmesan cheese
• Crusty French Bread + garlic + olive oil

Directions

In a large stockpot, sauté diced carrots and celery in a few drops of olive oil until veggies are fragrant and slightly tender.  Add in the minced onion and garlic cloves.  Toss in the diced sweet potatoes and season with 1/4 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. basil and salt and pepper. 

Add 2 C diced tomatoes, 6 C chicken stock and 2 C water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until veggies are mostly tender. 

Meanwhile, cook a 1/2 C pasta according to package directions.  This should yield about 1 C prepared pasta.  Rinse and drain and set aside. 

To the soup, add in 1 can pinto beans that have been rinsed and drained.  Stir well and simmer the soup for an additional 5-7 minutes. 

Add in the cooked pasta along with 1/4 C white cooking wine and spinach.   

Stir well. 

Stir in pre-cooked, crumbled bacon.  If you don’t like bacon, leave it out, the soup has enough flavor… although the bacon does tie the flavors together nicely. 

Remove the soup from the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, allowing the heat from the soup to melt the cheese. 

Meanwhile, slice some French bread.  Spray each slice with olive oil and season with minced garlic.  Toast under a broiler or in a toaster oven on the toast feature for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned and warm.  Watch the toast carefully so as not to burn!

 

Serve the soup with the garlic toast. 

Enjoy!

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Turkey & Sweet Potato Chowder with Wild Rice

A few weeks ago, one of my favorite food blogs posted a delicious recipe for Smoked Turkey Chowder with Mushrooms & Sweet Potatoes.  You all know my love for sweet potatoes, right? 

Recently, we gave this soup a try and LOVED it.  We used the same basic recipe, healthified it a bit {whole wheat flour, milk rather than cream, increased the number of veggies}, and added wild rice.  It’s a new favorite. 

Turkey & Sweet Potato Chowder with Wild Rice - Adapted from Brenda

Ingredients

• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 2 T minced onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium red (or yellow) bell pepper, diced
• 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 1/2 C wild rice, uncooked
• 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
• 4 C chicken broth
• 2 C water
• 1 tsp. parsley, dried
• 1/4 tsp. thyme, dried
• 7 oz. frozen sweet corn
• 1 medium/large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2” pieces
• 1 C half and half or whole milk
• 1 C diced or shredded turkey
• 2 T low-sodium soy sauce
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Begin by sautéing the celery, bell pepper, mushrooms and carrots in the bottom of a large stockpot.  Once veggies begin to cook and release their liquids, add in the minced garlic and onion.  Sauté over medium high heat for 3-5 minutes. 

Stir in 1/2 C white whole wheat flour and coat all the veggies. 

Slowly stir in 4 C chicken broth, adding them 1/2 C at a time, stirring after each addition.  Then, add in 2 C water.  Bring soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. 

Reduce heat to a slow boil/simmer, and add in the spices (1 tsp. parsley and 1/4 tsp. thyme), 1/2 C wild rice, 7 oz. frozen sweet corn and 1/2” pieces of sweet potato. Add in turkey.  

Cook at a simmer for 20-30 minutes, covered. 

Add in 1 C half and half or whole milk.  Stir in 2 T low-sodium soy sauce. 

Serve warm topped with crumbled cooked bacon with a side of crusty bread, or perhaps whole wheat crackers. 

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