turkey | Kitchen Casual

For the past four years, I thought Eric didn’t like stuffed peppers. Then last week, he requested them for dinner. This was my face.

But I was more than happy to oblige. I love stuffed peppers. I have a recipe I like that uses brown rice and veggies, but Eric insisted that some sort of meat needed to be involved. So I created these.

Stuffed peppers never photograph well. But it sure was tasty.

Now just a note, I used turkey sausage that had been precooked in my homemade pasta sauce, but you could use any meat you want. Just plain ground turkey would also be good. Just add some extra seasonings.

Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers

2 red bell peppers, halved and cleaned out
2 links spicy Italian turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 cup cooked white or brown rice
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese for garnish, optional (I used goat cheese, Eric used parmesan)

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Mix the turkey sausage, rice, tomato sauce and seasonings together in a bowl. Spoon the filling in to the pepper halves.
3) Place filled peppers in a casserole dish. Pour chicken broth in to dish. Cover tightly with tin foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until pepper is tender. Top with cheese, if desired, and serve.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, I was still craving Thanksgiving food. I just felt as though I had not consumed enough turkey. I knew that Christmas was a short time away and that Eric’s dad would have turkey on Christmas, but I needed a hit of tryptophan STAT.

I was wandering around Target one day — as one is wont to do — and found the wheels spinning in my head as I browsed the grocery aisles. I left with everything to make a salad that tasted just like the holidays — and it was delicious. I’ve eaten in for quite a few lunches as of late, and I have yet to tire of it.

It is a way to enjoy the flavors of the holidays without all the guilt — and whenever you want. So enjoy!

Salad with turkey and cranberries

Lettuce (I used my beloved herb lettuce mix)
Turkey (You could use deli turkey. I used the carving board kind. Or use leftovers.)
Cheese of your choice (I used mozzarella, but goat cheese would have been tasty.)
Dried cranberries
Fried onions (the type you top a green bean casserole with)
Salad dressing of your choice (I used an oil and vinegar combo)

Combine all the ingredients and eat immediately. It is really that simple.