Aimee’s Pretty Palate: Quick Fix
I’ll never tire of stuffed peppers. I’ve stuffed crawfish dip into them. Pimento cheese? Of course I have. Heck, I even stuffed jambalaya, thereby making it a portable dish using bell peppers as edible vessels. Stuffing peppers is not a new thing for me. What is new, however, is this Unstuffed Peppers recipe. The unstuffed version packs all the flavor but brings with it a decreased workload. And as school loads resume and after-school activities increase, sometimes you don’t have the bandwidth to hollow out the bell peppers, and a quick fix becomes necessary.
Speaking of school being back in session, I recently made Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars for book club. I don’t know where the basic and legendary recipe came from, in all honesty. I’ve had it on a torn piece of magazine paper for who knows how long.
I mention the name to my husband, and he looks back at me with a blank face. “Lunch lady?” he asks. I explain that they’re like the ones you would get in the cafeteria; the square portion is never the size you deem adequate, from the lunch ladies. The blank stare continues. I’m not sure if it’s the difference between his New Orleans private school upbringing compared to my country school cafeteria background, but until I came along, my husband had yet to experience a sheet pan style Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bar.
If you find yourself also deprived of experiencing such a thing, I’m here to share this not-quite-sure-where-it-came-from recipe to make your day. You likely already have everything you need in the pantry, and perhaps an extra 10 minutes on your hands to whip them together. With the exception of the time required for chilling, these Reesecup-like squares practically take zero effort. The hardest part is the wait while they firm up in the fridge. Well, that and not eating the entire tray.
Unstuffed Peppers
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 bell peppers (any color), diced
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. black pepper
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes
4 oz. tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup long-grain white rice (uncooked)
1½ cups beef broth
1½ cup shredded mozzarella
1 Tbsp. chopped basil, for garnish
Coat bottom of a deep skillet (will need lid) or Dutch oven with olive oil. Cook beef over medium heat until browned.
Add garlic, onion, bell peppers, basil, oregano and pepper to ground beef. Continue to cook until onions are soft, stirring
occasionally. Add diced tomatoes (do not drain), tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, uncooked rice and beef broth. Stir gently to combine.
Cover skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Allow broth to come to a boil, gently stir to make sure all rice is combined in broth, then turn heat down to low and allow the mixture to simmer for 18-20 minutes. Turn heat off, leave lid in place, and allow to cook for additional 5 minutes.
Remove lid, fluff rice with a fork and sprinkle mozzarella over the top. Place lid back on and allow cheese to melt. Alternatively, you can place an oven-safe skillet in a preheated oven to melt cheese. Once cheese is melted, garnish with chopped basil and serve.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
For chocolate topping:
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
Coarse sea salt, for topping (optional)
In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter and melted butter until well combined.
Press mixture evenly into bottom of a 9 x 13-in. baking pan. Place pan in refrigerator while you make topping.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Heat in 15-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and fully melted.
Pour chocolate mixture over graham cracker base and use an offset spatula (or back of a spoon) to spread evenly. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Slice into squares and serve.
Tip: To ensure a firm and even layer, I like to place a piece of parchment on top of the crust and use a rolling pin. Remove the parchment paper before placing in the refrigerator.
Makes 16 bars.
