Stuffed Bell Peppers

Before Keith and I head out for Thanksgiving I am trying to clean out the produce in the fridge. I had some bell peppers we needed to use up and we had some ground bison in the freezer. Hum, what to do...stuff those peppers baby!! Enjoy!

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

4 very large bell peppers (any color...I used red)

2 cups cooked lean ground beef (I used ground Bison...about 1 pound...Keith LOVES his meat)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (I used cheddar almond cheese)

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix, dry

1 cup canned tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice the tops off the peppers and then slice in half lengthwise; remove seeds, wash and pat dry. Place pepper halves in a small baking dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray and roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown beef (bison or turkey...whatever you are using) in a skillet. Drain off excess fat. Stir to combine all ingredients, except for peppers; set aside.

Remove peppers from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Evenly spoon mixture into pepper halves and return to oven for 20 more minutes.

Serves: 4 (huge portions!!)

317.8 CALORIES; 5.6g FAT (2.4g saturated fat); 76.2mg CHOLESTEROL; 693.2mg SODIUM; 31.5g CARBOHYDRATE; 5.8g FIBER; 2.6g SUGAR; 35.8g PROTEIN

Healthy Mexican Food!!

Okay...here is another recipe favorite in my house. If you like Mexican food, here is guilt-free version of enchilada casserole that everyone (including those picky kiddos) will totally love!

TURKEY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

1 lb lean ground turkey or extra lean ground beef (I used lean ground turkey)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can Mexican-style tomatoes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas (I only used 10)
2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided

In a large saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook the turkey (or beef), green pepper, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.

Stir in the beans, salsa, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Spread 1 cup meat sauce into a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with six tortillas, covering the sauce. Spread half of the remaining meat sauce onto tortillas; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer with remaining tortillas and meat sauce.

Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Serves: 6**
426 CALORIES; 8.7g FAT (2.1g saturated fat); 59mg CHOLESTEROL; 1242mg SODIUM; 62.7g CARBOHYDRATES; 15.1g FIBER; 7.5g SUGAR; 28.3g PROTEIN

**Nutritional content is calculated using lean ground turkey and 12 corn tortillas**