Three meals at once...Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

Make your stuffed peppers in the crockpot!

 It all started with cooking 2 cups of raw rice! And I made several meals, all of which have not been eaten yet.  Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls and Rice Pudding all made from the same two cups of rice have made meals easy this past few days.  I was going to also make Porcupine Meatballs from a recipe passed on to me but Mark ate the rest of the rice!  It is free on Slimming World so what's a person to do?  And if I had made even more rice...hmmm, what else could I make?  Maybe you have a few ideas of what to do with leftover rice?  If so, please post your ideas for all of us in the comment section.  I was thinking stir fry rice with egg, chicken and veggie or a nice rice bottomed pie crust with chili or a rice bottomed quiche...I have a few recipes like those.  What great ideas do you have? If you want to see me in action it is here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCUnS0iM7p4

Here are my ingredients, add a pound of ground beef (94% lean), the rice (cooked), and a head of cabbage for several quick meals!

Ok, let's get cookin'!

Crockpot Peppers

1 pound ground beef
2 cups cooked rice
1 Fresno Chili
2 garlic cloves
2 cups baked beans (yes, I really used these)
2 cans Diced tomatoes
1 Large can tomato puree (passata)
1 can corn
1 onion
5-6 green bell peppers (red ones are even better)
1 head of cabbage

Spray a large skillet with Pam Spray.  Saute chopped garlic and finely chopped Fresno pepper, then add the ground beef and cook it until no longer pink.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drain off any excess fat.  Add cooked rice, baked beans (strain off most of the juice), 1 can diced tomato, 1 can corn, 1 diced onion.  Mix this together well and stuff into peppers.  Red ones have such a mild lovely flavor and I prefer them but green ones look pretty.  Put some tomato puree in the bottom of the crockpot and put your stuffed  peppers on top. Put the lids on the tops of each pepper.  Add the remaining can on diced tomatoes and the rest of the puree with 1/2 cup water.  Cook in crockpot on high 5 hours or on low for 8 hours or until raw peppers are cooked through.  It is hard to overcook this.

Cabbage Rolls

Take your head of cabbage and with a sharp knife cut around the core.  You do not need to remove the core but make 5-6 deep cuts around the core.  Put the whole head in a glass dish with a few Tablespoons of water and covered with Saran Wrap into the microwave for 4 minutes.  When it comes out let it cool to handle easily.  Remove leaves starting at the core.  Put large spoonfuls of filling at the base of the leaves and fold in sides and roll.  Layers these cabbage rolls with diced tomato and tomato puree in a casserole dish.  I also chop up the remaining cabbage and add it in layers.  This can be frozen and cooked later, in the oven or in the crockpot!

I have to tell you, I have been putting corn and beans in my stuffed peppers for a few years now and I like it that way.  I never put baked beans in until this time but WE LOVED IT!  We scarfed those puppies right down!  And I still have the Cabbage Rolls to eat at a later date.  I can pull them out someday when I am busy and throw them in the crockpot for a no fuss, satisfying meal...voila!

And Mark, "Man of the Year", made me some extra special rice pudding.  I like it custardy with loads of cinnamon from Penzy's and he made it just how I like it.  That video and recipe will be coming up to a blog and youtube channel soon!

Speaking of Mark, can I proudly say that for the first time since he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes some ten years ago, his blood glucose tests showed him in the normal range at 6.9.  AND, he is now only using one of his types of insulin instead of two!  So this Slimming World diet has been so good for him, even with all of the fruit, pasta, potato and rice that he eats...just look at the results!  His Doctor told him to continue his current regimen.  Now we both have to get some more exercise.