Well, that’s it. I’ve come full-circle. I’ve become my mother.

My hubby threw a little “tantrum” over what I was planning on making for dinner, and he just plain got on my last nerve this time. Just a teeny sample of what I deal with: He swears he hates any kind of peppers, but loves, (in my opinion, one of the strongest “bell pepper flavored” dishes out there), Stuffed Bell Peppers.

Gee, I don’t know how he got the nickname, “Mr. Picky Pants”.

So, I thought that since he loves stuffed bell peppers so much, why not make one of my old favorites, the “soup version” of this classic dish. Well, he got all pissy and I actually said, “You’re just going to have to learn to like a few more things!” Quickly followed by, “And you’re gonna like it whether you like it or not!”

It made sense to me…

So, oh yea. That pot of soup was GOING to be MADE. And I was going to force feed it to him if I had to. Yeppers.

Or he was just going to be sent to bed without any supper.

Which is where he probably would like to be anyways, so he can watch all his stupid sports news channels.

 

 

Do you all go through this, too??

Why do men act like 5 year olds when they get sick, or something new is being introduced to them onto the dinner table?!?!

After being together for 12 years now, you’d think he’d trust me better than this. I’m tired of going to battle over what I’m spending hours in the kitchen working so hard on.

So I think there’s going to be a few more things that I happen to like, that I haven’t had since I said, “I do”, that’s going to make an appearance on the table soon. And he’s going to like them, too. Whether he likes it or not. 😉

 

Save this to your Pinterest board!

 

 

So here’s to one of my personal favorites, that I’m sure you all will love just as much as me, too!

I’ll update this when “Mr. Picky Pants’s” verdict is in. I have a feeling he’s going to be having “crow pie” for dessert.

 

 

An extra big-ass helping. 😉 😀

 

*Update: How’s that crow pie a-tastin’, hon? 😉

 

 

 

Yield: 6 - 8 servings/about 3 quarts

Best Unstuffed Roasted Red Pepper Stew

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Ingredients

• 4 - 6 large sweet bell peppers (any color) or red cubanelle peppers, (quartered, cleaned and oven-roasted), as many as you like (extra roasted peppers can be frozen if you do too many)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked long grain white rice
• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 small to medium ribs celery, sliced
• 1 cup sliced baby carrots
• 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 1 (24 oz.) jar pasta sauce such as Barilla's Tuscan Herb
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can beef consommé such as Campbell's
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can Hunt's stewed tomatoes, hand-crushed, plus half a can of water using this can
• 1 Tbl. red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 tsp. dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 1/2 tsp. more coarse ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
• 1 large dried bay leaf
• 1(8 oz.) bag shredded Mexican blend cheese, 2 cups
• garnish with pinches of roasted peppers and paprika

Instructions

First get peppers roasting.

While peppers are roasting, make rice, set each aside when done, covered.

In frying pan, sauté beef (breaking up as you go along), onion, celery, and carrots until meat is done and no longer pink inside. Take your time doing this so that the veggies become crisp-tender. Once the pan gets hot, lower to medium-low heat, and sauté slowly. (About 25 minutes or so). Drain grease if needed. (*Extra lean beef usually doesn't need to be drained).

Pour meat mixture into small stock pot. Add rest of ingredients (*except peppers, rice, cheese and garnish). Place a lid on and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove lid, and simmer over medium-low heat until veggies are tender, about 25 - 30 minutes. Stir occasionally so that it doesn't stick or scorch on the bottom!

Stir in chopped roasted peppers (about 1 1/2 cups) and cooked rice (as much as you'd like). Simmer, uncovered, for 5 more minutes. (*Any extra rice can be frozen).

Ladle into hot soup into bowls, top with shredded cheese, a pinch of roasted peppers, and a light sprinkling of paprika, and pop into a preheated 370º oven and bake until cheese has melted. (About 5 - 10 minutes).

Serve hot with toasted baguette slices or crackers for dunking!

Notes

*I used a mix of red, orange and green bell peppers and sweet red cubanelles from last summer's garden. So just use whatever peppers you enjoy.
To Oven-Roast Peppers: Slice off tops and pop out stem. Quarter peppers, clean out seeds and membranes, and place skin side-up, including tops, onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake in 375º oven for about 30-35 minutes until lightly charred on edges. Remove to cool. (*Can turn peppers over when 10 minutes are left). Slice into wide strips, stack, and slice through into desired sized-chunks keeping them good-sized so that they don't overcook later. (1/2" - 1" squares, as desired).
To Cook Rice: In small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1/2 Tbl. butter to a boil, stir in 3/4 cup rice, cover, lower heat to LOW, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with fork, re-cover until needed.