Slow Cooker Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Stew Over Rice

This week I’m doing Poor Girl’s mini staycation. I’m focusing on things from my garden and using up leftovers and remains of ingredients long forgotten. Last night I made a deconstructed stuffed pepper on a bed of rice.

Preparing the Slow Cooker

To make this, I started with my mini slow cooker. I cut up 2 tomatoes, 4 small to medium bell peppers, and a jalapeño pepper, all from my garden. I put them in the slow cooker and added 2 cubed medium potatoes and some leftover mini carrots I had frozen in the bag so they wouldn’t go bad on me.

Then, I melted a couple of tablespoons of butter in my mini ramen cooker. I added a couple of spoonfuls of minced garlic, about a quarter of a cup of chopped onion, about 3 tablespoons of dry chives, a squirt of basil from the tube, and about a tablespoon of chili powder. I let that cook until the flavors merged and it started smelling wonderful, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Cooking the Stew

I added a couple of tablespoons of chicken stock powder and a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to the slow cooker along with 2 bay leaves. I dumped the mixed herbs from the ramen cooker on top of that and added enough water to cover. I tasted it and added salt to taste.

Making the Rice

When I was ready to make dinner, I put half a cup of rice into the pan in the ramen cooker and ran it under cold water until the water ran clear. I then drained off the remaining water and added about a cup of water to the rice. I let that cook until the water ran dry and the rice was cooked but still firm, about 10 to 15 minutes. I unplugged the ramen cooker and added a tablespoon or two of butter to the rice. Once the butter melted, I forked the rice to make it fluffy.

Air Fryer Meatballs

I put it on a plate, made a space in the middle, and added the stuffed pepper stew. I had some premade meatballs and added those to the top. You can make some quickly in the air fryer as well. It’s just:

• quarter of a pound of beef
• quarter of a pound of pork sausage
• onion
• garlic
• salt
• basil
• an egg yolk
• some breadcrumbs
• and milk or dried milk.

Mix together and make small meatballs, about 16 or so. Cook in the air fryer until browned, about 10 minutes. They can be made ahead and frozen for just such a dish.

Enjoy!

Buddy Love

Slow Cooker Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Stew Over Rice

A slow-cooked stew of garden peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes served over fluffy rice, with an optional meatball topping.

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tomatoes cut up
• 4 bell peppers small to medium, cut up
• 1 jalapeno pepper cut up
• 2 potatoes medium, cubed
• some mini carrots frozen
• a couple of tablespoons butter
• a couple of spoonfuls minced garlic
• about 1/4 cup chopped onion
• about 3 tablespoons dry chives
• a squirt basil from the tube
• about 1 tablespoon chili powder
• a couple of tablespoons chicken stock powder
• a couple of tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• enough to cover water
• to taste salt
• 1/2 cup rice
• about 1 cup water for rice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter for rice
• 1/4 pound beef optional, for meatballs
• 1/4 pound pork sausage optional, for meatballs
• some onion optional, for meatballs
• some garlic optional, for meatballs
• some salt optional, for meatballs
• some basil optional, for meatballs
• 1 egg yolk optional, for meatballs
• some breadcrumbs optional, for meatballs
• some milk or dried milk optional, for meatballs

Method

 

1. Cut up the tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeno pepper. Place them in a slow cooker and add the cubed potatoes and frozen mini carrots.
2. Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in a small cooker or pan. Add the minced garlic, chopped onion, dry chives, basil, and chili powder. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until the flavors merge and it smells wonderful.
3. Add the chicken stock powder, tomato paste, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Dump the cooked herb mixture on top and add enough water to cover. Taste and add salt to taste.
4. Cook on slow for most of the day, or on high for a couple of hours.
5. When ready to make dinner, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain. Add about a cup of water to the rice and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until the water runs dry and the rice is cooked but still firm.
6. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter to the rice. Once melted, fluff the rice with a fork.
7. Optional: To make meatballs, mix the beef, pork sausage, onion, garlic, salt, basil, egg yolk, breadcrumbs, and milk. Form into about 16 small meatballs and cook in an air fryer for about 10 minutes until browned.
8. Plate the rice, make a space in the middle, and add the stuffed pepper stew. Top with the meatballs.

Notes

Meatballs can be made ahead and frozen.