Pick a Peck of Peppers

Confession: Sometimes when I go grocery shopping, my attention gets completely diverted by beautiful produce. I guess you can say I have a wandering eye when it comes to gorgeous fruits and vegetables. {Don't laugh. It's a serious problem.}

There I am one minute, dutifully crossing things off my list, and then suddenly out of the corner of my eye I see an exceptionally attractive artichoke or a seductive bunch of tomatoes on the vine and - just like that -  my cart and I are making our way over to items we have no particular use for, like moths to the flame.

Such was the case with a particularly inviting pair of cubanelle peppers that made their way into my shopping cart earlier this week. Their lime green, shiny outsides made them look like they belonged in a set of plastic vegetables that come with those Fisher Price kiddie kitchens. I knew I had to have them.

Cubanelles - Source

What I didn't know was what the heck I was going to do with them. Are these things spicy? No idea. Do they have a strong taste? Not a clue. Luckily, my best friend {Google} had all the answers I needed.

After a little research, I found a recipe that happened to include several things I already had on hand {my favorite kind!}. It was easy to put together and turned out to be pretty tasty, too. {The husband cleaned his plate, but c'mon... what else is new?}

Please ignore the burnt edges around the dish... I kinda left them in the oven too long. ;)

As it turns out, I like cubanelle peppers and would definitely pick them up again. That is, unless the broccoli happens to be especially bewitching that day... ;)

Are you as easily swayed as I am, or do you stick to your guns with grocery list in hand? What items have snuck their way into your grocery cart recently? Your secret's safe with me!

Stuffed Italian Style Cubanelle Peppers
Adapted from Food.com

4 cubanelle peppers, topped and seeded

1 small onion, diced

1 lb bulk Italian sausage

4 garlic cloves, mashed and minced

1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

6 oz chicken stock

1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil

1 cup of pre-cooked rice

1/4 cup of grated mozzarella cheese

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saute pan, cook onions and sausage on high heat for about 5 minutes, until meat is browned and onions are tender.

2. Add garlic and cook for about 40 seconds, until fragrant.

3.Add crushed tomatoes {I used diced tomatoes & ran them through the blender for a second to cut down on large tomato chunks}, chicken stock, and fresh basil. Stir together until basil is wilted. If mixture is too watery, let cook down until slightly thickened.

4. Place mixture into a large bowl with rice, cayenne, and mozzarella cheese. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Evenly add stuffing to peppers, leaving leftover stuffing in fridge for later on in the week. {I used the extra as a bed for the peppers}. 

6. Place peppers in a casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes until stuffing is heated through and peppers are tender. Serve hot.