Cherchies Blog

Chili Stuffed Peppers Recipe

entrees, leftovers, lunchSheri SpalloneComment
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).  

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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!

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Enjoy!

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Spooky Apple Dip Recipe

appetizers, desserts, parties, snacksSheri SpalloneComment
Spooky Apple Dip Recipe

Spooky Apple Dip Recipe

Hello friends! Halloween is a knocking. It is the perfect time to whip up this Spooky Apple Dip recipe, featuring cream cheese, mini chocolate chips, Health Bar Bits, homemade caramel sauce**, and the secret ingredient Cherchies® Apple Butter Spread! Of course, the little candy eyes make this dish horrifyingly adorable.   

I don't know whether it is the inner child in me or the fact we have children (and their excitement over the years has excited us), but I have always been a sucker for party themes, themed food, theme decorations, etc., and Halloween is no exception. Our children always loved all the festive Halloween foods we would serve at our pre-Halloween celebration with family and friends.  

So, if you are looking for a quick and easy spooktacular Halloween treat and love caramel apples, this is the perfect dip to share at your next Halloween gathering. Serve it with sliced apples or even graham crackers, and you are good to go.

**Note: You could easily substitute store-bought caramel sauce if you're in a pinch, but homemade is easy and much better.

Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!

Thanks for stopping by. Comment below if you have tried this delicious recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

  • 1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1/2 jar Cherchies® Apple Butter Spread

  • 1 cup Homemade Caramel Sauce (you could use store bought but homemade is so much better!)

  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

  • 1 cup Heath Bar Toffee bits (or your favorite toffee, crushed into small pieces)

  • Candy “eyes” (We used Wilton candy eyes, we found at our local Michael’s, but they are available online as well.)

  • Apple slices for dipping

Caramel Sauce Ingredients- Make this before assembling the spooky dip to allow the caramel to cool. For the full directions with pictures, please visit “How To Make Homemade Caramel Sauce” on our blog.

  • 1 cup of brown sugar

  • 6 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half, room temperature

  • 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) sea salt (if want salted caramel, add up to 1 tsp. salt- Kosher salt is fine too)

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (you could substitute your favorite liquor for an extra special adult treat…we won’t tell, but make sure to keep away from the kiddos)

Preparation for Caramel Sauce

The caramelization process happens quickly, so make sure all your ingredients are measured and in place before you begin. Start with a medium-sized stainless steel sauce pan (ceramic would work just fine too). Add the butter pieces to the pan, turn the heat on low, and gently stir the butter with a wooden spoon (you can use a whisk too) until it melts.

Once the butter has melted, add the sugar and continue to stir until the sugar has melted. (Sugar will be HOT! Trust me, and learn from my mistakes, do not be tempted to taste the caramel at any time, until it has cooled! Many sites I researched suggest having a bowl of cold water on hand in case of flying molten sugar. Yikes! Do not be afraid, but be safe.) As you are stirring, scrape the sugar that forms on the side with the spoon or a rubber spatula and incorporate into the mix.

Continue stirring constantly on low until all the sugar has dissolved and you have achieved a rich caramel color and a nutty aroma. Some of the butter may remain on the top. This is okay. It will incorporate once the half and half or cream is added. As the caramel comes to a rolling boil on low, continue rapidly stirring. Add salt and vanilla (or liquor) at this time. If you want salted caramel, then add an additional 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) of salt.

The last part is the cream or half and half. Add the cream slowly and stir stir stir! Again, be careful, this is where the caramel will get angry with you, as it will sputter and possibly throw molten sugar your way. You must prevail. I’m teasing… it really is very easy! Simply continue stirring rapidly until all the ingredients are incorporated. Remove the caramel from the heat and allow to cool. Turn off the stove. The caramel will thicken as it cools.

Preparation for Spooky Apple Dip

Combine the softened cream cheese and the apple butter spread in a medium bowl with a hand-held mixer and mix on medium-low speed until combined. With a spatula, spread the cream cheese mixture into a pie plate or shallow dish.

Once the caramel sauce has cooled and thickened, evenly pour it over the cream cheese mixture. Next, sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the caramel, followed by the toffee bits.

Carefully place the candy eyes on top and serve with apples for a spooktackular Halloween presentation.

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Enjoy and Happy Halloween!

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Apple Butter Sundae Recipe

dessertsSheri SpalloneComment
“Cherchies Apple Butter- “One of the best”- Sallyanne 7/4/2020”

Originally posted in 2015, this recipe and pictures have been updated.

A spread of Apple Butter a day keeps the doctor away. That’s what they say, right? (Just kidding, I know it is an apple a day). I wonder what they say if it’s served over ice cream?

I may have found a new favorite easy dessert, Apple Butter Spread over ice cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup. Yum!

It had never dawned on me to put apple butter over ice cream until my kiddos came up with this concoction. Thank you, kiddos! They heated our apple butter spread, and lovingly decorated their ice cream with it, chocolate sauce, and their favorite sundae toppings for an instant, easy dessert! 

Undoubtedly, ice cream is a delicious, tasty treat, but add apple butter and chocolate syrup to the mix, and your mouth will thank you for the explosion of flavors and texture. So what do you say? Are you ready to give this delectable confection a try? You will not be disappointed; it is just what the doctor ordered.

This recipe also works well with our Cherry and Strawberry Butter Spreads.

Thank you again for visiting, and please come back. Something is always cooking in our kitchen, and we love to share recipes with you! Comment below and let us know how you liked this recipe. 

Enjoy.

Ingredients

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Preparation

There is not much preparation to this recipe as it is an easy, easy, recipe, !  Simply scoop mounds of your favorite ice cream, dollop our Apple Butter Spread (heated of course) over top, and if you'd like an extra decadence factor...drizzle chocolate sauce and add your favorite sundae toppings.  Oooh baby! 

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Apple Butter A'La Mode Recipe

Apple Butter A'La Mode Recipe

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Recipe Roundup- 30 Fabulous Fall Recipes

recipe round upSheri SpalloneComment
Recipe Roundup- 30 Fabulous Fall Recipes

Recipe Roundup- 30 Fabulous Fall Recipes

Original posted October 2018.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Entertaining certainly looks different this year! From Game Day to Halloween, we have hand selected our 30 favorite, quick and comforting Fall recipes guaranteed to make your Autumn entertaining a “breeze!"

As sad as it is to see summer end, Fall’s return is usually a refreshing break from the heat and humidity here in the Mid-Atlantic (and that means better hair days for most:). Fall brings a welcomed crispness, a familiar warmth, amber-colored leaves, apples, pumpkins, bonfires, sweaters... and of course football!

Embrace the nuances of Fall…cozy up, light a fire, invite your friends and family over for a casual get-together, and enjoy these 30 tasty Fall treats!

Comment below and let us know the recipes you have tried and as always, thank you for stopping by to visit! Come back again:)

Appetizers

Main Meal/ Dinner

Game Day

Halloween

Desserts

Enjoy and Happy Fall!

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