Ground Chicken & Chicken Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 6 red bell peppers
• 1 pound ground chicken 
• 1 pound Italian style chicken sausage (5 links)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 heaping cup)
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (use the tops from the 6 cups)
• olive oil
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 - 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tbsp. & 1 tsp. chopped garlic, divided
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Preheat oven to 375F.

Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut tops off peppers, saving to chop and use for the stuffing.  Square off the bottoms of each pepper so that they can stand up in a baking dish.  Arrange the peppers in the dish.

Chop tops of pepper, which should yield a heaping cup and chop the onion, set aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine the tomato sauce, crush red pepper, oregano, basil and 1 tsp. chopped garlic.  Mix well, cover and turn on low.

In a large saute pan, add a small amount of olive oil and brown the ground chicken and chicken sausage, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper,  breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 7 minutes.  Use a potato masher to get the meat into a small crumble.  Drain fat in a colander and set aside.

Add a small amount of olive oil to the same pan and saute the chopped bell peppers, onions and 1 tbsp. chopped garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until starting to soften, 4 minutes.   Turn off heat and add chicken and sausage to the pan, mixing well.  Add the tomato sauce and mix well.  Let cool for 10 minutes and then mix in the Parmesan and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella.

Stuff each pepper with the meat, veggie and cheese mixture, pressing it in tightly.  Sprinkle each stuffed pepper with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella.

Bake, covered with foil, tented and sprayed with cooking spray, 30 minutes.  Uncover and cook 10 minutes more, until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Enjoy!

Green Chile Turkey Taco Bowls

• 1 - 20 oz. package lean ground turkey
• 1 cup salsa verde
• 1 - 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. adobo seasoning
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Spray a large pan with cooking spray and brown the turkey over medium high heat until cooked through, 5 minutes.  Drain fat in a colander and return to the pan.

Add the salsa, green chiles, lime juice and spices, mix well and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Reduce heat and let simmer 10 minutes.

Make taco bowls with your favorite toppings!

• shredded lettuce
• salsa
• avocado
• sour cream
• sliced black olives
• pickled jalapenos
• shredded cheese

Pesto Stuffed Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, beaten thin with a mallet or other tool
• 2 heaping tbsp. pesto with basil, such as Buitoni
• 2 heaping tbsp. fat free sour cream
• 2 heaping tbsp. reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a small bowl, combine the pesto, sour cream and mozzarella and mix well.  Spread half of the mixture evenly out onto each chicken breast, leaving a border around the sides.  Roll each breast up and secure it with toothpicks.

Have two bowls out - one with the beaten egg and one with the parmesan.  Dip each breast in the egg bath, using your hands to make sure it is covered, and then dip each breast in the parmesan, using your hands to make sure the breast is evenly covered in cheese.

Set each rolled and dipped breast into a sprayed baking sheet.  Bake for 35 minutes, or until cooked through.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Lasagna

• 4 medium zucchini, sliced horizontally in 1/8 inch slices
• 1 - 20oz. package lean ground turkey
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• olive oil
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 - 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 - 15oz. container reduced fat ricotta cheese
• 1 - 8 oz. bag shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Lay the sliced zucchini out and lightly sprinkle with salt.  Cover with paper towels and let sit for 10 minutes.  Blot excess moisture with a paper towel.  Cook in a grill pan 2 minutes per side.  Place on paper towels and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Drain any fat in a colander and set aside.  Drizzle olive oil in the same pan and add the onion and garlic.  Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the meat back into the pan along with the tomatoes, basil and crushed red pepper.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer, covered, on low for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg and Italian seasoning.  Mix well.

In a 9x13 greased baking dish spread 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Layer 1/2 of the zucchini and top with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the sauce.  Repeat the process one more time.  Lastly, sprinkle with the 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.  Turn broiler to high and broil until the cheese starts to brown, 2 minutes.   Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!!

Grandma Swartz's Pickled Cucumbers

• 4 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp. salt
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 tbsp. water

Put the sliced cucumbers in a bowl and add the salt.  Mix well.  Let stand 2 hours, stirring once in a while.  Drain in a colander and squeeze excess water out with paper towels.

Mix the onion, sugar, vinegar and water in a bowl.  Add the cucumbers and mix well.  Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Let sit 2 hours in the refrigerator.

DELISH!