CONTRIBUTED BY ACES
BY DUSTIN DUNCAN
LEE COUNTY —
The recipe may be mighty, but the preparation is simple. Live Well Alabama’s Mighty Skillet Meal is easy to make but feeds all the mighty ones around the dinner table. If feeding a large group, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
“If your children tend to avoid mixed dishes with chopped veggies, try chopping them very small, letting kids help prepare the meal, using onion and garlic powder for flavor and adding different veggies like peas or carrots,” said Katie Funderburk, Alabama Extension’s SNAP-Ed coordinator.
MIGHTY SKILLET MEAL
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup green onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups tomatoes, diced
½ cup cooked rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Pro Tips
Want more veggies? Add bell peppers or another favorite vegetable to this dish. Also, for a timesaver, buy fresh or frozen pre-chopped vegetables.
Directions
Over medium heat, combine the ground beef, celery, onion and green onion in skillet. Cook until the meat is brown. Drain fat and return to skillet.
Add chili powder, tomatoes, rice, salt and pepper to skillet.
Cover and simmer over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir often to avoid sticking.
STUFFED BELL PEPPERS WITH GROUND VENISON
Want a new twist on stuffed bell peppers? Try adding ground venison. Live Well Alabama’s Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Venison recipe is a flavor explosion. Why ground venison? Because it’s rich in protein and iron and low in fat. However, this recipe also works with any ground meat.
“If you’re fortunate enough to have venison in your freezer right now, this is a great recipe to try,”
Funderburk said. “Fun fact — a bell pepper has more vitamin C than on orange.”
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 pound ground venison
Four button mushrooms, chopped
Two ribs celery, sliced thinly
One medium onion, chopped
Two cans petite diced tomatoes with juice, 14.5 ounces
2 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley, dried
1½ cups cooked long grain rice
Six bell peppers
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Pro Tips
Adding red pepper flakes during cooking will add extra spice.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and spray a large skillet with cooking spray.
In the skillet, over medium heat, cook the ground venison for 5 minutes or until cooked almost through.
Add the mushrooms, celery and onions, and cook until vegetables are tender.
Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley and cooked rice. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the rice is warmed through.
Cut off the tops of the peppers and spoon out the ribs and seeds. Rinse. Lightly sprinkle the insides of peppers with salt and place in microwave-safe dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes or until peppers start to soften.
Transfer to the peppers to a 3-quart or 9×13-inch baking dish. Fill the peppers with the cooked meat and rice mixture.
Sprinkle cheese on top, and bake for 20 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted.
Want to learn more? Step-by-step instructions for the Mighty Skillet Meal and Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Venison recipes and instructional videos are available at www.LiveWellAlabama.com.
LIVE WELL ALABAMA
Live Well Alabama is a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) initiative developed by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn University. This initiative reaches residents across the state with research-based education.
“Live Well Alabama recipes are meant to equip people of all ages and experience levels to prepare healthier foods for themselves and their families,” Funderburk said.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Live Well Alabama provides numerous recipes that are simple and budget friendly.
For more information about Live Well Alabama and to find more Live Well Alabama recipes, visit www.LiveWellAlabama.com. Also, check out more Live Well Alabama tips and recipes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
ABOUT ACES
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System takes the expertise of Auburn University and Alabama A&M University to the people. Our educators in all 67 counties are community partners — bringing practical ways to better our homes, farms, people and the world around us. Our research extends knowledge and improves lives.
