Stuffed Cherry Bomb Poppers

I recently discovered a new pepper at our local farmers market. We were after jalapeños for salsa and the vendor cut us a deal on Cherry Bombs. They look like mini red peppers but have a little more of a kick. I love the combination of the sweet and spicy. Now the dilemma was how to use them. Since they are small, only about the size of a quarter, there is only so much you can do with them. I didn't want to just chop them up, so I decided to stuff them. 

Recipe:

•   15 cherry peppers

•   3 tablespoon of water (to put in bottom of baking dish)

•   1/2 cup chopped onion or 1/2 small onion

•   1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

•   1 clove garlic, crushed or 3 tsp of garlic powder

•   Oregano

•   Chili Powder

•   Curry Powder

•   1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

•   1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey

•   1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice

(shredded mild Cheddar cheese, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, optional)

First brown up your meat. I used 1/2 lb. of ground turkey. I try to avoid excess red meat since I don't have a gallbladder.

 Dice up 1/2 of an onion. I really like onions, so we didn't hold back with them. Once the meat is browned add them to your meat. 

Then add a small can of mushroom and two small cans of tomato sauce. You may only need one can of sauce depending on how much meet you have. Just make sure it is coated well. Then add your spices. Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, and Curry Powder. 

I didn't really measure these out I just did them to taste. 

While your meat mixture is simmering, prepare your peppers. Slice off the tops and scoop out the seeds and membrane with a spoon. Rinse and set aside. 

 If you would like your peppers thoroughly cooked, then boil them in water for two minutes then rinse. We like our peppers crunchy so we skipped this step. 

In a baking dish, add a layer of rice. Then using a spoon fill the peppers and place on the bed of rice. I had a leftover green pepper that I sliced up and used to add some more color to the dish. I love colorful dishes! 

 Sprinkle on a bit of cheese and red pepper flakes and bake till cheese is melted. Then Enjoy!

I know I made a good meal when my husband says "oooh that looks good" or "ya know? adding something to this would actually ruin it" lol...he adds bbq sauce and ketchup to anything and everything.