COOKING with CANNABIS
Forget the Stocking Suffers ― Try the Easiest Stuffed Peppers Ever !
by Chef Dana Cunningham
Here ’ s a recipe for you that will help you stay cozy and warm this winter . I actually came up with this one when I was trying to use up random foods in my fridge , and it turned out to be amazing — just saying . I have done gourmet so much that sometimes , I want something simple , but as it turned out , I was not embarrassed by this dish at all . I am going to forewarn you that this recipe takes a while to cook , but it ’ s mainly cook time and less prep time , which I like because it gives me time to relax or do other things while dinner is cooking . So , let ’ s chill and make the easiest stuffed peppers ever .
I usually stay away from stuffed peppers because I can ’ t stand the texture of the rice that is traditionally in the recipe . So , of course , I developed a stuffed pepper with my own little twist , and now I can eat them ! Instead of rice , I top my peppers with little hashbrown rounds . I had these in my freezer and thought it sounded good . I was very pleased with how it gave my pepper body and sustenance , but it didn ’ t have that rice texture .
For the infusion , I prefer to keep it contained in the meat . The pepper holds up very nicely , and if you use lean meat , it doesn ’ t get too greasy . I add my oil directly to the meat mixture , but if you would like to be more precise , you can add your desired amount to each pepper after you have stuffed it with the meat .
Ingredients
1 jar of Marinara 2 boxes of cherry tomatoes 1 lb of Italian sausage ½ lb of ground beef or veil 2 tablespoons of infused oil or butter in liquid form 5 large bell peppers 1 small , sweet onion , minced 2 tablespoons of minced garlic 1 cup of shredded mozzarella or 1 ball of fresh mozzarella sliced into 5 pieces 1 bag of frozen tater tots or hashbrown rounds
48 January 2023
The Method
1 . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . 2 . Prepare the peppers by cutting off the tops leaving a large circle to fill them . 3 . Rub the peppers on all sides with a little bit of avocado oil . 4 . Place the peppers , standing up in a nonstick pan with tall sides . 5 . Mix the Italian sausage , hamburger or veil , onion , garlic , infused oil or butter , and sprinkle with salt and pepper in a medium bowl . I always use fresh ground salt and pepper .
6 . Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture , leaving 2 inches on the top for other ingredients .
7 . Cook the peppers stuffed with meat in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the meat is done .
8 . When the peppers look roasted and the meat is done , pull the pan out of the oven and line up cherry tomatoes in each pepper so that the meat is completely covered .
9 . Place frozen hash brown rounds on top to cover and fill the pepper completely .
10 . Pour the jar of marinara into the pan around the peppers and place a lid on top . 11 . Cook in the oven for another 20 minutes . 12 . When the sauce is bubbling and the hash browns look cooked , top with mozzarella cheese , sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper , add Italian seasoning , cover the pan and place back into the oven until the cheese has melted .
13 . Bring the pan out of the oven , uncover it , and allow the peppers cool for at least 15 minutes . 14 . These are some scorching hot peppers !
That ’ s my twist on stuffed peppers ! I pair it with a salad and a nice slice of crusty bread . These are also amazing the next day too . It is a super cozy dinner for a cold night .
Dana Cunningham is a Kansas City Native trained in French and American cuisine . She owns Infused KC , Kansas City ’ s CBD infusion think tank and focuses her culinary efforts on the farm-to-table concept at her four-acre homestead . She provides cooking classes in Kearney , MO . Follow her on Facebook , @ infusedkcmo or YouTube @ sunsetgrovekearney . Get your CBD at ,
www . infusedkc . com .