Grounds for Beef

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

I love stuffed peppers, all kinds. I didn't grow up eating them with ketchup or any kind of sweet sauce in or on top of the stuffing. I did however eat a lot of Stouffer's Stuffed Peppers, in my late teens that I really liked and they definitely had a sauce running through it. Stouffer's sort of opened my eyes to different foods way back when. A pizza on a slice of French bread? And so crispy? That was crazy talk. And I loved me some crazy. The pot pies were a step up from Swanson's and the Lasagna was way better than any the Boy Chef conjured up. It was high class TV dinner food. In hoosiertown this was maybe the only way to get Lasagna at that time. Maybe that's why I'm not a food snob. I can't be. I come from hoosierville. I like all foods, fast, made on a cart, made in someones tiny kitchen, who cares as long as it tastes good. Everything has its place.

So anyway, regarding the sweet sauce on top. Its earned its spot on this dish but a lot times I find myself craving the basic flavor of spiced hamburger meat and a juicy baked green pepper. I don't want the distraction. And I love the way hamburger tastes specifically with fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapenos, green onions, parsley and a good half a palm-full of whole cumino seeds. Also I don't like to cook the the vegetables down too much. I like them to have life in them and then just throw in the tomatoes & parsley at the end, right before stuffing.

But I do like to mix it up and play around with the grains in the stuffing. Wild Rice, Quinoa, Mexican Rice...

Tonight I'm using barley! I'm trying to eat more healthy grains. Although white rice soaks up the flavor so well I just tasted this barley and the texture and flavor is great simmered in beef broth. Its gonna be good!

I put a cup and a half of barley in the stuffing but I'll also serve the peppers on a bed of it as well. Instead of the red sweet sauce on top, I used bread crumbs and olive oil. If I get a hankerin' for cheese and I'm sure that I will, I may top with a little cheddar in the last 5 minutes. This will be the full meal, no sides, so why not make it a full experience. Cheese needs no invitation.

Stuffed peppers are probably a bit like chili. Everyone has their own way of doing it and you really can't go wrong because the two flavors of ground beef and green bell pepper is a match made in heaven.