So Many Dishes

It doesn’t get much more old school than cooking from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. And that’s what I did—more or less—tonight.

This is the BH&G cookbook that I currently own. It is not the one I received as a wedding shower gift oh, so many years ago. It got to the point that the binder rings wouldn’t stay closed and the binding broke. But I couldn’t imagine any kitchen without a copy, so I bought a new one.

This cookbook is such a classic that it didn’t occur to me that my new copy would be a much-updated version. After all, there wasn’t a lot of difference between my original copy and the one my mother used. But times had changed, and so did the book. Before I got rid of the old one, I went through and saved the pages of beloved recipes that aren’t in the updated version. Thank goodness for the ringed-binder format. Among the aged, discolored pages at the rear of the new binder are my peach pie recipe, the best split pea soup, and the entire cookie section.

Among those saved recipes is one for stuffed peppers. This is a recipe with history for us. It’s something that Ken’s mother made when he was growing up. I remember eating stuffed peppers when I was young, yet I don’t remember my mom making them. But it was a dish I made regularly when we were first married, as well as while Ben and Alice were growing up. I have a couple variations that I’ve tried, but the BH&G recipe has been my standard.

Somehow, the dish went by the wayside. Neither of us can remember the last time I made it. But Ken mentioned recently that he was hungry for stuffed peppers, so we added it to this week’s menu.

The issue was adjusting the recipe for two instead of four. We decided to fill three peppers, in case one apiece wasn’t enough. I cut the filling recipe in half, but made some minor changes. The original calls for a can of diced tomatoes, but I knew that was too much for the half pound of ground beef that I was using. So I diced a slice of fresh tomato, maybe a quarter cup, and added most of an 8-ounce of tomato sauce. This was actually better than using the canned tomatoes. The filling was saucier, with a richer tomato flavor. The recipe also calls for mixing in shredded cheese, but I have never done that. We would usually just serve the peppers with grated Parmesan This time, though, since I had some shredded cheddar, I put it on top of the filling before baking. Definitely the way to go.

I’m including the recipe as I made it tonight. We also commented about how much better it tasted with colored peppers rather than green peppers. The sweetness really added to the dish. I’m definitely happy with my updates.

Stuffed Peppers

• 3 large bell peppers
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 8-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 1/4 cup rice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Slice off tops of bell peppers and remove cores and seeds. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, add peppers, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and drain.

In a saucepan over medium high heat, add beef and onion and cook until meat is browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peppers in a baking dish and fill with the meat and rice mixture. Divide the cheese evenly and sprinkle over the top of the filling. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Serves 2-3.

The peppers were delicious but filling. I could only eat half of one, but Ken took care of what I left. There’s one left, and since we still have leftover schnitzel and rotkohl, I think tomorrow night will be leftovers.

Happy eating!