Do You Do It?

Guess lots of folks that don’t venture out for Black Friday or want even more bargains are all surfing the net for amazing on-line deals. Awesome, I guess. Personally I avoid the internet on Cyber Monday as I don’t care much for traffic jams.

All kidding aside, I do love the month of December. December is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and all that it brings. It’s filled with so much joy and celebration. There are the Sundays of Advent, the memorial feasts of Saint Nicholas, the Feast of Immaculate Conception, our Lady of Guadalupe, the Feast of Expectation, the feast day of Saint Lucia with its beautiful lights and the Ember Days of Advent. All of that takes place leading up to Christmas, including Hanukkah. Wow – what’s not to love about this time of year? We get so caught up in the shopping part of the holidays that we sometimes forget about the true meaning of this Season of Giving. Giving of ourselves, our time, our love for one another. The best presents aren’t found under the tree, but around the tree. Rejoice and be glad! Now into the kitchen . . .

Do you remember when we shared our Beefy Rice-a-Roni supper? That recipe made way, way more than we could possibly eat, so I froze the leftovers to create my stuffed bell peppers. Now just in case you didn’t do the same, I’ve included the “stuffing” portion of the recipe below. Have a blessed and beautiful day!

Beefy Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers
3/4 lb Ground Beef
1 tablespoon Butter
1 box Beef Rice-A-Roni
1/2 cup frozen Corn
1 cup Beef Stock
1-1/2 cups Water
4 Bell Peppers for stuffing
4 tablespoons Tomato Paste

Note: When selecting bell peppers the color doesn’t matter as much as the shape. Short, round peppers with a bottom that is level is best.

Heat oven to 400-degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Brown ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain well in a colander placed over a large bow.

While meat is draining, add butter to the same skillet the meat was cooked in. Empty contents of Rice into the skillet and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

Return meat to the skillet. Sprinkle contents of seasoning package over meat. Add corn, beef stock and water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is tender.

While the rice simmers, bring a pot of water to a full boil. Stem bell peppers, remove seeds and hollow out for stuffing. Blanch peppers in the boiling water for about a minute. Drain well.

If necessary, trim bottoms of the peppers to sit level. Once the rice is ready, divide between the peppers. Spread a tablespoon of tomato paste over the top of each pepper to seal in the filling. If desired, place the little “tops” of the peppers back into place. Place in the prepared baking dish. Bake in the heated oven for about 25 minutes or until peppers are tender.

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Come and save us, LORD our God;
let Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.