Brown Rice Archives · Jess in the Kitchen

Stuffed Pepper Skillet

If the Mr is cooking at our house, there are likely three distinct quantities of food: protein (usually venison chops), roasted potatoes, and some form of steamed vegetable. Is it delicious? Absolutely. It just isn’t the way I cook. I love a good skillet or bake. Bring on the mixtures of flavors and more importantly, the leftovers so I don’t have to worry about making a lunch the next day. Because bakes and skillets are my jam, this simple stuffed pepper skillet was born.

I don’t love raw peppers. I have grown to enjoy them cooked, and I know they are good for me so I try to infuse them into my dinners when I can. If you’ve been around for some time, you may have noticed that I don’t like super tedious recipes. I don’t want to make stuffed peppers in their truest form. That’s work (Ha!). Let me make something good, filling, and full of nutrient dense ingredients that fits in a pan and I am the happiest of women.

This stuffed pepper skillet seems to fit all the bills

It has protein from the Italian sausage (I use my Italian sausage inspired venison), starches in the rice, and it’s full of vegetables in the tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Even better? It has minimal hands-on time and once it’s time to cook the rice, you cover it and let it be. No stirring. No checking it constantly. Just get the veg cooked up and you’re almost done.

And your family will love it (at least I hope they do!). The first time I made it, I was just using up sad ingredients from the fridge: halves of peppers and sad onions. I was trying to clear out some of the freezer before the Mr starts hunting again and we had a ton of Italian venison. As soon as my kids dug in, they said, “Of course you didn’t measure…it’s so good!” We quickly ate it three weeks in a row! On that third week, I measured so that I could share with all of you!

Ready to start creating this great, family friendly meal for the people you love too? Let’s go!

Your ingredients

1 ½ cups chopped sweet pepper, any color
1 ½ cups diced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 can of diced tomatoes, unsalted
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 ⅔ cup low sodium chicken stock
1 ½ cups brown rice
1 cup shredded cheese, your favorite kind
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Your Steps to Stuffed Pepper Skillet

If available, cook this in an oven safe Dutch oven with a cover so that the cheese can go under the broiler. If that’s not available, any large brazier or saute pan with a cover will do.

Over medium-high heat, add the olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add green peppers and onion. Saute for 5-10 minutes, until just softening. Then add the Italian sausage and minced garlic, cooking until the sausage is browned. From here, drain if necessary (I use a half venison/pork mixture, so I don’t need to drain any extra fat).

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and salt and pepper (including the pepper flakes). Bring to a boil. Add the rice, stirring to combine. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow your wonderful meal to cook for 40 minutes, covered. After 40 minutes, check the texture of the rice, cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes if necessary.

Once the rice is fully cooked, top with shredded cheese. If you are able to put your pan in the oven, cook under the broiler at 475 for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is perfect and bubbly.

If you are not able to put your pan in the oven, add the cheese and immediately put the cover back on. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes (and up to 20 minutes, if you are busy), to let the cheese melt.

That’s it. It really is such a simple meal that has you doing just a few things at the beginning and then setting and forgetting it. If you are busy at night, you could totally precook the sausage, onion, and peppers and just add everything together when you get home.

Peppers and onions first to soften them up.

Stuffed Pepper Skillet

This Stuffed Pepper Skillet is packed with flavor and simple to prepare, even on a weeknight, thanks to its minimal hands-on time.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Equipment

Ingredients

1 ½ cups chopped sweet pepper any color
1 ½ cups diced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 can of diced tomatoes unsalted
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 ⅔ cup low sodium chicken stock
1 ½ cups brown rice
1 cup shredded cheese your favorite kind
Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

If available, cook this in an oven safe Dutch oven with a cover so that the cheese can go under the broiler. If that’s not available, any large brazier or saute pan with a cover will do.
Over medium-high heat, add the olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add green peppers and onion. Saute for 5-10 minutes, until just softening. Then add the Italian sausage and minced garlic, cooking until the sausage is browned. From here, drain if necessary.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and salt and pepper (including the pepper flakes). Bring to a boil. Add the rice, stirring to combine. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow your wonderful meal to cook for 40 minutes, covered. After 40 minutes, check the texture of the rice, cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes if necessary.
Once the rice is fully cooked, top with shredded cheese. If you are able to put your pan in the oven, cook under the broiler at 475 for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is perfect and bubbly.
If you are not able to put your pan in the oven, add the cheese and immediately put the cover back on. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes (and up to 20 minutes, if you are busy), to let the cheese melt.

Keyword cherry tomatoes, green peppers, Italian sausage, Italian venison, one pot meals, peppers, stuffed peppers

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September 17, 2023September 29, 2023

JessLeave a comment

Rice and Pancetta Stuffed Squash

I have an odd relationship with growing squash. Maybe I am not alone. I grow it, but the act of actually dicing it, roasting it, and all the things doesn’t always happen. It isn’t that I don’t like the way it tastes. I generally love it. It just takes a little more work than I want. However, this rice and pancetta stuffed squash is worth all the work, and I am super pumped to share it with you.

One of my first friends adores patty pan squash. She has talked about them for years and this year, I decided to plant a row of them, having ZERO idea if I would like them. Well, I had a bumper crop of these beautiful “starfish” squash, as the Mr. so fondly called them. (Turns out I grew early bush scallop, if you are wondering).

I enjoyed dicing them and roasting with a little salt and pepper and olive oil. And while the Mr. and my mini me enjoyed the squash this way, my big HATED it. So I looked to give the squash a face lift for my kiddo, and boy does this rice and pancetta stuffed squash recipe do it.

The flavors of the Brussels sprouts are complemented by the sweet potato and pancetta. Fall feels so present in the in the colors and spice blend. And turns out that both my kids fought over how much each of them could get. I thought six squash would leave us leftovers, but my goodness, they were gobbled up by parents and kids alike.

If you’re looking for a meal that feels fancy but really just take a little prep, give this one a try!

Ready to get cooking? I know I am!

Your Ingredients

Six Early Bush Scallop squash (other squash would work too, but you may need to increase the bake time as bush scallop are pretty light on bake time)
1 ½ cup chicken stock
¾ cup long grain brown rice
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
¾ cup pancetta
½ cup each: chopped onion, carrot, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potato
¼ teaspoon dried, ground rosemary
¼ teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste

Your Steps to Rice and Pancetta Stuffed Squash

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Wash each squash and slice off the top quarter. Hollow out the inside, removing seeds and making room for the filling.

Bake squash upside down for 15 minutes. When they are done, remove from the oven and flip over so they don’t collapse on themselves.

Meanwhile, combine chicken stock, ⅛ teaspoon pepper and garlic and long grain rice. Bring to a boil, cover and lower to a simmer, cooking for 35 minutes (or according to package directions).

While the rice and squash are cooking, begin to cook down the vegetables. In a large saucepan (you’ll mix the rice into this so have room for that), begin to melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts and pancetta. Cook until the pancetta is becoming crispy, about 10-12 minutes. Add sweet potato, pepper, and rosemary and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Salt to taste.

Remove from heat and stir in cooked in rice. Stuff parbaked squash and bake for an additional 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve your family a delicious and beautiful meal everyone will fight over!

I hope your family loves them as much as mine did. My big (who doesn’t like the squash plain) said I could just make a big pan of the filling and he would eat it all. It’s that good! So maybe double the filling? Ha. Just a thought *wink, wink*

Rice and Pancetta Stuffed Squash

A little prep in the kitchen turns some simple ingredients into beautiful rosemary rice and pancetta stuffed squash!

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Prep Time 35

Cook Time 30

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Equipment

Baking Sheet
Large Skillet or Saucepan

Ingredients

6 Early Bush Scallop squash or other patty pan squash
1 ½ cup chicken stock
¾ cup long grain brown rice
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
¾ cup pancetta
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup carrot diced
½ cup Brussels sprouts quartered
½ cup sweet potato diced
¼ teaspoon dried ground rosemary
¼ teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Wash each squash and slice off the top quarter. Hollow out the inside, removing seeds and making room for the filling.
Bake squash upside down for 15 minutes. When they are done, remove from the oven and flip over so they don’t collapse on themselves.
Meanwhile, combine chicken stock, ⅛ teaspoon pepper and garlic and long grain rice. Bring to a boil, cover and lower to a simmer, cooking for 35 minutes (or according to package directions).
While the rice and squash are cooking, begin to cook down the vegetables.
In a large saucepan (you’ll mix the rice into this so have room for that), begin to melt the butter over medium heat.
Add onion and carrot. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add Brussels sprouts and pancetta. Cook until the pancetta is becoming crispy, about 10-12 minutes.
Add sweet potato, pepper, and rosemary and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Salt to taste.
Remove from heat and stir in cooked in rice. Stuff par-baked squash and bake for an additional 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Notes

Any small squash would work for this recipe, although initial bake time may change based on the texture and hardness of the squash used. You want the squash to be almost done baking when the stuffing is put in.

Keyword Brown Rice, brussels sprouts, early bush scallop squash, pancetta, squash, stuffed squash, sweet potato

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Looking for more meal inspiration?

Check out any of the links below or head right to my cooking page to learn more!

October 15, 2022November 12, 2022

JessLeave a comment

Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli

This Korean BBQ Inspired Beef with Broccoli has been are recipe that has hung out on my Instagram page for a long time and is an ultimate go to dinner for our family when time is short. Sitting down together for meals is incredibly important to everyone in our house, but basketball, baseball, barre classes, and the like can make that challenging. This complete meal can be done in under 25 minutes (depending on your rice) and provides a healthy and nutritious meal everyone can love!

What I love best about it (besides the flavor of course!) is that it truly can be a pantry meal that gets thrown together last minute. We are a hunting family which means our freezer is full of home-ground venison, which is what we use in place of ground beef 90% of the time. We always have Minute Rice on hand (they make a great brown rice), and if we don’t have fresh broccoli, we will definitely have some frozen. As long as we don’t run out of the sauce ingredients, we are golden and can make this any day of the week.

Also, I ADORE these steamer bags by Ziploc. It allows us to quickly cook up some broccoli (fresh or frozen) without heating up the house. We use them for cooking vegetables on a regular basis!

Ready to get cooking?! Let’s go!

Your Ingredients For Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli

1 pound ground protein (beef, venison, turkey)
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
⅛ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Red pepper flakes, to taste
3 cloves garlic
4-6 servings brown rice, cooked
Two heads of broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces (four servings frozen broccoli florets)
Sesame seeds

Your Steps

Over medium heat, brown protein, adding oil as needed. Venison benefits from a ½ tablespoon of olive oil in the pan to help keep it from sticking. Meanwhile, steam broccoli and cook instant brown rice if you haven’t already.

I highly recommend these Ziploc steam bags for all things vegetables. I think we cook our vegetables in these bags 2-3 times a week for simplicities sake. They are amazing and come with timings for all types of food, fresh and frozen! I dig any kind of instant brown rice and have also fallen in love with frozen, par-cooked rice for those busy nights!

While your meat is browning and rice and broccoli are cooking, mix your sauce. I like to add the liquids in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup and then add the rest of the spices. Don’t skip the sesame oil! It makes the dish!

Once the meat is cooked, drain if necessary. Pour sauce over the browned protein, cooking over medium for 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Serve protein over rice, topped with steamed broccoli and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Good luck having any left overs!

Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli

Dinner in under 25 minutes is possible with this complete meal of Korean Inspired BBQ Beef served with broccoli over rice.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings people

Ingredients

1 pound ground protein beef, venison, turkey
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
⅛ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Red pepper flakes to taste
3 cloves garlic
4-6 servings brown rice cooked
Two heads of broccoli chopped into bite size pieces (four servings frozen broccoli florets)
Sesame seeds

Instructions

Over medium heat, brown protein, adding oil as needed. Venison benefits from a ½ tablespoon of olive oil in the pan to help keep it from sticking.
Meanwhile, steam broccoli and cook instant brown rice if you haven’t already.
While the meat is browning and rice and broccoli are cooking, mix your sauce.
Once the meat is cooked, drain if necessary. Pour sauce over the browned protein, cooking over medium for 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Serve protein over rice, topped with steamed broccoli and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Good luck having any left overs!

Notes

I like to add the liquids in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup and then add the rest of the spices. Don’t skip the sesame oil! It makes the dish!

Keyword broccoli, Brown Rice, ground beef, quick meals

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other delicious dinner inspirations?

You can also head to my cooking page or perhaps the baking page for other meal and dessert ideas!

July 15, 2022July 15, 2022

Jess3 Comments

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Something about Jambalaya is cozy, warming. It isn’t quite a soup or stew, but it sure has that comforting feeling. It’s a dish that we every so often just happen to have all the ingredients for, although I never shopped for them specifically with the intent of making jambalaya. This chicken and sausage jambalaya skips the shrimp and comes together in about 40 minutes and even less if you are on top of things enough to have cooked rice ahead of time.

About the rice

I may be a genius; Or maybe not, but let me share this awesome hack I had the last time I prepared jambalaya. I love a good long grain brown rice, but it takes time (35-40 minutes cook time plus the coming to temperature). It also takes up a burner while I am prepping everything else. But friends, it doesn’t need a lot of attention.

Enter the morning: As soon as I got done with my morning walk, I started heating 2 cups of chicken stock with some pepper and 1 cup long grain rice on the stove; Lowered it to a simmer once it was boiling, and let it do it’s thing. By the time I was done getting ready for the day and had my breakfast in me, my rice was done. Sweet! One less thing to worry about in the evening. It worked out perfect and a hack I will definitely be doing again!

I was able to throw the rest of this quick chicken and sausage jambalaya together after I got home from work on a weeknight. That’s a win, right? And we even had enough for us to eat it a second night, which is my jam.

Ready to get cooking a delicious, comforting dish your family will love? Let’s go!

Your Ingredients

4 cups long grain rice, cooked
1 large green pepper, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
16 ounces chicken breast, cubed and seasoned with salt and pepper
3 Andouille sausage links, sliced into discs
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper if desired

Your Steps to Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

If you haven’t cooked the long grain rice yet, get that started. I recommend cooking it in a little chicken stock with some pepper to add a flavor boost, but regular water with some salt and pepper will work just fine. Cook according to directions. (We always have regular rice on hand as well as brown Minute rice. We cook the one that matches our time frame, but check my hack in the intro!)

In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add green pepper, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining oil to the Dutch oven. Once hot, add seasoned chicken. Cook, stirring every couple minutes. At the six minute mark, add sliced sausage links. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Season with cumin, chili powder, thyme, and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Stir in chicken stock and diced tomatoes. Heat to a boil, and then slower to a simmer. Add cooked rice and vegetable medley. Cook until heated through and thickened, 5-10 minutes.

Can I recommend some corn bread or sourdough to pair with this comforting meal? Click the links below to get the recipes!

Tools of the Trade

Oh my gosh, I love a good wooden spoon and while my pictures aren’t of a cast iron kettle this time, I almost always create all my dishes in a cast iron Dutch Oven. The best!

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

This one pot meal is full of good for you ingredients and flavor. It's sure to fill your belly and warm your soul with just a little kick of heat.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings people

Ingredients

4 cups long grain rice cooked
1 large green pepper diced
4 stalks of celery diced
1 medium onion diced
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
16 ounces chicken breast cubed and seasoned with salt and pepper
3 Andouille sausage links sliced into discs
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper if desired

Instructions

If you haven’t cooked the long grain rice yet, get that started. I recommend cooking it in a little chicken stock with some pepper to add a flavor boost, but regular water with some salt and pepper will work just fine. Cook according to directions on package.
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add green pepper, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add remaining oil to the Dutch oven. Once hot, add seasoned chicken. Cook, stirring every couple minutes. At the six minute mark, add sliced sausage links. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Season with cumin, chili powder, thyme, and a dash of cayenne pepper.
Stir in chicken stock and diced tomatoes. Heat to a boil, and then slower to a simmer. Add cooked rice and vegetable medley. Cook until heated through and thickened, 5-10 minutes.

Keyword Brown Rice, cast iron, chicken, jambalaya, one pot meals, sausage

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

November 29, 2021November 29, 2021

JessLeave a comment

Quick Dish: Fried Rice

Recently, my family and I were away from home for a week. I don’t know about you, but when I get home from a week away, I need at least another day to reset. I do not want to do a thing but sit on the couch for hours, even if I was in the car for six hours leading up to getting home. And although the fridge is empty (if we did things right before we left), I certainly do not want to go grocery shopping. That, my friends, is unfortunate because I still need food for lunch the next day. However, I have discovered quick fried rice and my life has become a little easier and definitely a lot tastier.

After said trip, I looked around at what we had for food and realized we were low on proteins, at least any that were thawed. I am passionate about eating wholesome foods that are minimally processed, so this was a bit of a problem. However, I love me some brown rice with vegetables. I had some instant brown rice on hand as well as frozen Asian vegetables. Good. We also had cooked some Asian food while on vacation, so those flavors were on my mind. I opened the refrigerator to gather some liquid aminos and saw eggs. Eggs! Oh man, I can make a quick fried rice for lunch!

I felt as though I was winning at life. This meal had a starch/carb, vegetables, and a protein; a complete meal. It came together in less than 15 minutes, which is a major win in my book. Measuring is somewhat optional as you can really find flavors you love. Finally, nothing was processed and the ingredients are pantry items at our house. Let me tell you, this recipe is going into my everyday cooking brain when I need a quick, wholesome meal. I hope it does for you too!

Your Ingredients

2 cups brown rice, cooked (instant or regular)
8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
1-2 eggs, whisked
½ tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon minced garlic

Seasonings, to taste:

Ground ginger (¼-½ teaspoon)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Onion Powder
Soy sauce or liquid aminos (½ – 1 tablespoon)

Cook the vegetables according to the directions on the package. We adore these awesome steam bags that Ziploc makes for steaming frozen and raw vegetables in the microwave. (Here’s the link for them if you want to check them out: Ziploc Zip n’ Steam Bags)

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the rice, steamed vegetables, and seasonings to taste. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so.

Push rice and vegetable mixture to the side. Pour in the whisked egg(s) in the cleared spot (spraying with cooking spray prior if there is worry the egg will stick. I add a touch more sesame oil). Allow to cook 1-2 minutes, as though you are going to scramble the egg. Once the egg is starting to become solid, fully incorporate it into the rice and vegetable mixture. Saute until the egg is fully cooked. Taste and add more soy sauce, ginger, or red pepper flakes as needed.

Quick and easy. Delish, wholesome, and a complete meal from your pantry. That’s what I call a winner in my book. Give it a try next time you’re not quite ready to make a run to the grocery store. Or maybe anytime you need a meal at your fingertip in minutes.

Looking for other from scratch recipes to cook for a meal? Click below.

Cooking

Tools of the Trade

Quick Fried Rice

Short on grocery store items? Put together this quick fried rice using ingredients from your fridge and pantry in 15 minutes flat!

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice cooked (instant or regular)
8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
1-2 eggs whisked
½ tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon minced garlic

Seasonings, to taste:

Ground ginger ¼-½ teaspoon
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Soy sauce or liquid aminos ½ – 1 tablespoon
onion powder

Instructions

Cook the vegetables according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the rice, steamed vegetables, and seasonings to taste. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
Push rice and vegetable mixture to the side.
Pour in the whisked egg(s) in the cleared spot, spraying with cooking spray if necessary.
Allow to cook 1-2 minutes.
Once the egg is starting to become solid, fully incorporate it into the rice and vegetable mixture.
Sauté until the egg is fully cooked.
Taste and add more soy sauce, ginger, or red pepper flakes as needed.

Video

Notes

This will always be better if you use rice you cooked a day or two before. But I get it, you may not always have thought ahead. Go ahead and use what you have.

Keyword Brown Rice, Eggs, Fried Rice

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

July 31, 2020August 10, 2021

JessLeave a comment