Chili Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Chili Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Are you a leftover lover or hater? I love turning today's leftovers into tomorrow's masterpiece, and stuffed peppers are the perfect masquerade for leftover meat, veggies, rice, chili, and so much more.  For this recipe, we used leftover chili, seasoned with Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend and Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa (or Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa).  

Make the chili one night and use the leftover chili in these stuffed peppers for round two later in the week.  Not only is this recipe a creative way to use up leftovers, but it is also the perfect dish to hide those unsuspecting vegetables from any picky eaters, and dinner on those busy nights is ready in about 30 minutes. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Enjoy!

Comment below and let us know if you made these delicious stuffed peppers.  As always, thank you for visiting, and please come back again!

Ingredients  

• 1 yellow (sweet) onion, diced

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) olive oil

• 1 pound (lb) ground turkey or beef

• 3 generous Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Minor's Beef Base, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water (could substitute 1 beef bouillon cube dissolved in 1/4 cup water or 1/4 cup prepared beef broth)

• 1 jar of Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa or Cherchies®Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa 

• 1 15.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican Cheese blend, plus another cup for topping

• Assorted large peppers (red, green, yellow, or orange), washed, sliced, and deseeded

• 4 green onions, sliced (optional for garnish)

• Chopped cilantro (optional for garnish)
  

Preparation  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, sauté onion in olive oil on medium-low heat until translucent.  After the onion has cooked, add ground meat, Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend, and beef base or bouillon mixed in water.

Turn heat to low and simmer until the meat is no longer pink. While meat is cooking, prepare the peppers. Wash, slice in half, and remove the seeds from the peppers.  Place the peppers on a lightly greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and set aside. (If peppers wobble to one side, roll up a little aluminum foil and place near peppers to stabilize while cooking. This also prevents the filling from spilling out).

As meat finishes cooking, add Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa or Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa, the can of black beans to the mixture, stir, and cook for a few more minutes.  Next, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese to the meat mixture and stir until melted. Turn off the heat and allow the meat to cool for ten minutes. (This will make filling the peppers easier).

After the meat has cooled slightly, carefully fill the peppers shells with the chili and return to the baking pan.  Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over peppers.  Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Garnish with chopped green onions and/or chopped cilantro (optional), and serve!

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

Cajun Shrimp and Cheesy Grits Recipe

Cajun Shrimp and Cheesy Grits Recipe

Prep time: 15 MINUTES

Cook time: 20 MINUTES

Difficulty: Easy 

Yields: 4 servings

Sometimes you have to put on your big girl pants and try something new that intimidates you, including cooking. For me, that was shrimp and grits. This recipe came out of necessity from craving this dish in the middle of a pandemic, when ingredients were scarce.  

Throughout this pandemic, aside from family movie night and family game night, one night a week was dedicated to family take out night, where we patronized our local businesses and restaurants. The kiddos enjoyed ordering whatever floated their fancy, and Mom and Dad enjoyed NOT cooking for once (We have been cooking a lot with two college students and a high school student at home).  

When it was my turn to pick from the rotation, I wanted to tantalize my taste buds with my favorite comfort food, shrimp and grits, from our favorite local restaurant, except they were “out” of this smokey, cheesy, comforting dish. Imagine my dismay. WHAT?? In their defense, we were in the middle of a pandemic after all, and ingredients were limited. Regardless, it was terrible timing to have a craving, and begrudgingly I ordered something else. I NEEDED to learn how to make this classic dish asap!

Making homemade shrimp and grits had never crossed my mind because it seemed fussy. It was much easier to order from our favorite restaurant and allow the chefs to create their culinary masterpiece, but curiosity, determination, and necessity got the best of me. I put my “big girl pants on” and delved into my favorite cookbooks and online recipes to research shrimp and grits, and as it turns out, it was not as daunting as I had envisioned. I could do this. Our Louisiana inspired version features plump, succulent shrimp, savory Italian sausage, Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning, all piled on top of dreamy clouds of cheesy grits, seasoned with Cherchies Garlic Seasoning. I am proud to report that this easy cheesy recipe is divine and a close second to our favorite restaurant, and a recipe you will want to add to your cache. Not only can dinner be ready in 30 minutes, but you can have flavorful shrimp and grits whenever the craving hits.

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This recipe is adapted from https://www.bobsredmill.com/ and https://www.maebells.com/shrimp-and-creamy-cheesy-grits/.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sweet sausage, cooked and sliced

• 1/2-3/4 pound frozen deveined and shelled shrimp (Can use fresh)

• 4 cups chicken broth*

• 1/2 cup yellow corn grits (We tested with Bob’s Mill Organic Corn Grits)

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp.) Cherchies Garlic Seasoning

• Pepper to taste

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 4 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Olive oil, removing 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) for coating

• 4 teaspoons (tsp.) Cherchies Cajun Seasoning (add more if want spicier)

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp.) smoked paprika

• 1 cup water

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp.) Corn starch

• 2 green onion stalks, chopped

• 2 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)

*Note- some recipes I have researched call for substituting milk for the broth. I have not tried milk, but this recipe is flexible to use whatever liquid you like.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once oven is preheated, place the sausage in a shallow baking pan and cook sausage until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and slice the sausage into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.

In a medium to large sauce pan bring the chicken broth to a boil, add grits slowly and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the grits simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking and burning.

When the grits have absorbed the liquid, add the cream cheese, shredded cheese and Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and pepper to taste. Stir the mixture well, cover and remove from heat.

Place the shrimp and sliced sausage in a large mixing bowl, add 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Oilve oil, Cherchies Cajun Seasoning, smoked paprika and toss until shrimp is coated.

In a small bowl, combine the water and corn starch and mix until smooth (This is called a slurry).

Heat the remaining 3 Tablespoons (Tbsp) of olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and sausage, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is pink and tender (about five minutes total). Add the cornstarch/water mixture (aka slurry) to the pan in the last minutes of cooking to allow the slurry to thicken. (**I did not use enough cornstarch when I first photographed the shrimp mixture, so I had to sprinkle more in. DO NOT add the cornstarch directly to the mixture, as it will clump and you will get white lumps in your dish. Take the extra time to make the slurry separately to make the dish correctly).

To assemble the shrimp and grits add a heaping serving of grits to bowls or plates, top with shrimp and sausage mixture, chopped green onions, and chopped bacon (optional).

**When I first made this recipe, I chopped up chives from my garden instead of the green onions.

Enjoy!

Cajun Shrimp and Cheesy Grits Recipe

Peachy Chicken And Vegetable Kabobs Recipe

Peachy Chicken & Vegetable Kabobs Recipe

How was your weekend? Our summer kickoffs may have changed this year, but hopefully, everyone enjoyed themselves with family and stayed safe at home. The weather was finally beautiful here in Pennsylvania, so we all opted to go outside, enjoy the weather, and have a backyard family bbq, just the five of us. First on the menu was Peachy Chicken & Vegetable Kabobs.

Keeping holiday gatherings normal right now is an understatement, and with limited ingredients and limited trips to the grocery, it changes how we cook. Kabobs lend themselves to whatever protein and vegetables you have on hand, and for this holiday weekend, I made one of our family’s favorites, with a peachy twist. I added Cherchies Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa to the mix and hoped for the best. Probably not the best time to experiment, but challenging my family’s palate is something I often do:). Luckily my experiment worked, and my family devoured the kabobs.

If you are looking to tantalize your taste buds with a new sweet and spicy grilling recipe, look no further. The Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa mixed with soy sauce, garlic, hot sauce, and seasonings, elevate these kabobs from good to exceptional.

So, are you ready to tantalize your taste buds?

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Comment below and let us know if you tried this recipe and if you made any substitutions. Or, you can comment on Instagram #cherchies_gourmet.

Stay safe, stay well, and enjoy time with your family.

Ingredients

• 2-3 Chicken breasts, cut into cubes (more for a crowd)

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) Cherchies Garlic Seasoning (Can substitute Cherchies Garlic'n Herbs No Salt Seasoning)

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) pepper

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 1/2 cup Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa

• 1/4 cup hot sauce

• 1/2 Pineapple cut into 1 inch chunks (scales removed and cored).

• 1 red pepper, washed, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1 yellow pepper, washed, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1 small container Baby Bella Mushrooms, washed with stems removed and cut in half

• 1 medium onion, diced into 1 inch pieces

• Cooking spray

• Skewers (soaked 30 minutes prior to cooking)

• Additional 1/2 cup Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa for dipping (optional)

Preparation

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, soy sauce, Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa, and hot sauce. Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces and place into a medium bowl. Season the chicken with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and pepper. Mix. Add 2/3 of the marinade to the chicken. Mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours.

Wash and chop the vegetables and pineapple, and place in a shallow pan. Add the rest of the marinade and mix until completely covered. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours.

30 minutes prior to grilling, soak the skewers in a shallow casserole dish.

*Remove the marinated chicken and vegetables from the refrigerator. Save the marinade from the vegetables to use for basting the kabobs later. (If you want to use the marinade from the meat, make sure to boil the marinade until it reaches a temperature of at least 165 degrees. This way, any harmful bacteria will be removed). See FDA Guidelines.

Thread the chicken on separate skewers from the vegetables. (I find this works better with the different cook times of the chicken and vegetables). Next, alternate the peppers, onions, mushrooms, pineapple on different skewers in any arrangement you prefer.

Spray the grill with cooking spray, light the grill, and turn grill onto high for a few minutes. We use a gas grill, but you can easily grill these on a charcoal grill.

When you are ready to cook the skewers, turn the grill down to low.  Place chicken on grill and cook for a few minutes on each side.

After the chicken has cooked for a few minutes, add the vegetable/pineapple skewers to the grill, and cook for a few minutes on each side. I love adding pineapple to the vegetables because it adds so much flavor. If you've never had grilled pineapple, you're in for a real treat!  All the sugars in the pineapple come to life, for flavors that will make your taste buds tingle.

Baste the skewers with the leftover vegetable marinade as the kabobs cook.  *(See above guidelines for marinade safety). The chicken should no longer be pink on the inside and the vegetables should be tender crisp with grill marks.

Remove the kabobs from the grill and set aside on a platter for about five minutes. This allows the meat to rest and absorb all the juices.   Add Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa for dipping.

Serve with Aunt Ester’s Potato Salad and dinner is served! Enjoy.

Peachy Chicken & Vegetable Kabobs Recipe

Chicken Marsala Recipe

Chicken Marsala Recipe

Originally posted in 2015, this recipe has been updated with new pictures etc.

Thank goodness my tastes changed over the years because I would have missed out on this delicious classic dish, Chicken Marsala, chicken braised in Marsala wine and smothered in savory mushrooms.  Mushrooms were a no-no for me (by choice) when I was growing up, but now, they're a staple on my weekly grocery list.

Luckily our children are not as picky as I once was.  They actually like mushrooms.  Our children have grown up with the "One Bite Rule" (they have to try it, but they don't have to like it). Over the years, they have tried a variety of meals and textures, and I am happy to report, most of my creations have been hugely successful. 

Enjoy our version of Chicken Marsala, featuring tender chicken, savory mushrooms, Marsala wine, and Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning.  This tasty recipe has become a family favorite in our home and we hope it will in your home too. 

Comment below and let us know if you made this recipe, or share your pictures at #cherchies on Instagram.

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Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons butter, reserving 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp.)

• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil

• 1 Lb. Boneless chicken, flattened to 1/2" thick

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbps.) Cherchies Garlic Seasoning (Cherchies Garlic and Herbs Seasoning could also be used)

• Pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) rosemary

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbps.) Worcestershire Sauce

• 1 Lb. Baby Bella Mushrooms, washed, sliced, stems removed

• 1 lemon

• 1 cup Marsala Wine

• Chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Preparation

**Most Marsala recipes I researched, dredged the chicken in flour before frying in a pan. I have removed that step for this recipe to make a lighter version of this classic dish.

Are you ready to begin? Probably the most gratifying part is flattening the chicken. Talk about an aggression reliever.  

Put the chicken in a large plastic resealable bag, or place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap. Now my secret weapon, a rolling pin! Pound away, my friend until the chicken is about 1/2" thick.

Ahhh, much better. Now sprinkle both sides with Cherchies Garlic Seasoning and pepper.

Turn the skillet onto medium/low heat and add 2 Tbsp. butter and olive oil (This keeps the butter from browning).  

Add chicken to skillet, and cook for five minutes, then turn onto the other side and continue cooking.  Once, chicken is lightly browned on both sides (chicken will finish cooking later), remove from pan and set aside on a plate.

 Add mushrooms, and allow to cook until tender (few minutes).  After a few minutes, add Rosemary, Thyme, and Worcestershire Sauce.

After mushrooms have cooked,  Add the Marsala wine to deglaze the pan.  Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan to loosen up all that yummy goodness.

Almost done...Now cut the lemon in half, slicing one half of the lemon into slices.  These will be used to garnish your dish at the end.  Squeeze one half lemon into pan with mushrooms and stir.  The lemon juice adds a nice freshness to the dish.  Add the remaining butter and return the chicken to the pan, to continue cooking.  With a knife, cut a small slit into the chicken to make sure the chicken is no longer pink.  

Chop parsely.

Remove chicken from pan and place on a nice platter.  Spoon mushroom sauce over chicken, and garnish with remaining sliced lemons and parsley.  Dinner is Served!  Enjoy.

Chicken Marsala Recipe