Creole Chicken and Tasty Tuesday Link-Up

I've got a treat for you all today. Not only do I have a fast and fresh recipe for you, but I'm also co-hosting the Tasty Tuesday link-up!
First things first: This recipe actually comes from my mom. It's one of her go-to recipes and I love it! Unfortunately, David isn't too fond of peppers or cooked tomato chunks, so I rarely make this dish at my house. This is a great recipe for stretching your budget, it uses things I usually have on hand. However, I realize not everyone always has creole seasoning.

 Warning: Creole seasoning is spicy, so don't use too much. If it's too spicy add a little sugar to tone it down a little.
Edited to add: The amount I have specified gives it a kick, but in my opinion is a family friendly spicy, if you like things really spicy, I'd add a bit more.

Serves: 4-6

1 1/2 C boneless/skinless chicken, chopped   
2 stalks celery, chopped  
2 C sweet pepper, chopped   
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes 
1 ½ tsp Creole seasoning (or to taste)   
1 TBSP lemon juice   
3 C rice, prepared   

Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium heat 4-5 minutes.
Add chicken, celery, pepper, and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, seasoning, and lemon juice. Simmer 10 minutes.
Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Ideas to save you money on this recipe:
Canned tomatoes can get pretty expensive at most grocery stores, so when I need more and can't find a sale, I go to Aldi where they are usually cheap enough. They used to be $.55, but are now $.59.
Use leftover meat from another meal, or buy bone-in chicken and de-bone it yourself.
The pepper and celery can be purchased in frozen bags for $1 (or you can freeze them yourself when you find a great deal).

This month, Tammy from Creative K Kids, Dina from My UN-Entitled Life, and I are running this party on our blogs!    

We would love to have you link up to three of your old or new food posts!   Here are  just a few requests for this linky:

• PLEASE follow the hosts and co-hosts of this party through one of their social media listed below.  They visit your post, leave a comment, and pin your post.  Just pick one (or more) of the options below and please follow them.

**Tammy at Creative K Kids (Blog)** Pinterest/Facebook/Google+/Twitter/Instagram **Dina at My UN-Entitled Life  (Blog)**  Pinterest/Facebook/Google+/Twitter/Instagram **Anna at Family Living on a Budget (Blog)** Pinterest/Facebook/Google+/Twitter/Instagram

• Try to visit a couple of blogs and leave a comment or share their posts.
• Please make sure you link up only food-related posts that have never been linked up here before or they will be deleted.  Non-food posts can always be linked up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party!
• Place this button or a link to this post somewhere on your site--either on the actual post or on your sidebar or on your party page.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://creativekkids.com/category/tasty-tuesdays/" title="Creative K Kids"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaE86aXOEGliJ_vu07dkN1pQLUPBiDyc3ORKQLxK5YEHerZlYFU6odNLQNrPe9aFWwrAtxvuKCwT6UIeGWPoMM3rR_k87YOaFIFdsLrwOUknmiaMFGZoJj690ScMWAbhH6uR4b6SAzxK52/s1600/tasty+tuesdays.jpg" />" /></a></div>

• As a thank-you for linking up, we will pin your recipe to the Tasty Tuesdays at Creative K Kids Pinterest board.  Please follow the board to see all the great food recipes!  
• By linking up, you agree to let any of the hosts or co-hosts  use your pictures and links if they decide to feature your post.   Your photo may also be used for promotion on any of their social media outlets.
• If you include your e-mail in the linky form below you will be added to a weekly reminder e-mail when the link party goes live. Your e-mail will not to added to any other lists or given out.

Healthier Stuffed Peppers

I love stuffed peppers! Unfortunately for me, David is not a pepper fan, so I don't make them as often as I'd like. There is something so satisfying about digging your fork into the middle of a steaming pepper and pulling out this rich and comforting combination. Mmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Serves 6

6 medium/large bell peppers, seeded

1 lb ground turkey/venison/beef

1/2 onion, chopped

8 oz tomato sauce

1 T minced garlic

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 T Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 C cooked rice

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cut tops off the peppers and remove cores. Trim the stems from the tops and discard. Chop the remaining part of the tops; set aside. 

Arrange pepper shells in a steamer over boiling water, cover, and steam 5-10 minutes, until tender. Drain shells and set aside.

In large skillet, combine turkey, onion, and reserved chopped pepper. Cook over medium heat until turkey is cooked- approximately 7-8 minutes. Drain off any excess grease. 

Add the tomato sauce, garlic, basil, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. 

Mix in the rice (use less rice for smaller peppers and more rice for bigger peppers or leftover filling).

Spoon mixture into the pepper shells; then place the peppers upright in a baking dish. Bake 10-15 minutes, until peppers are thoroughly heated. 

Serve and enjoy!

If desired, add mozzarella cheese or an additional 8oz of tomato sauce on top of the peppers before baking.

This post was originally published on 5/30/12 @ oneincomefamilyliving.blogspot.com. I revised it and transferred it here.

Stretcher Foods

The secret to low-cost meals is easy: stretcher foods. Stretcher foods are inexpensive foods that "stretch" your expensive ingredients, your meal, and your budget.
My favorite stretcher foods are beans, rice, pasta, oats, and veggies. They can be used with just about anything if you use your imagination. In fact, there were a couple semesters in college that I cooked almost exclusively with these stretcher foods.

If you're wondering how they work, think stir-fry, and chili. Still confused? Allow me to explain. 
In stir-fry you take meat and seasoning then add some vegetables to make it more balanced and filling. Then to make it even more filling you serve it with rice or noodles. Chili is made with a little meat, a little seasoning, a lot of beans, and some vegetables. To make it even more filling, some people add pasta.
These are such common examples, that it's easy to overlook their "stretching" ingredients.

If you're still confused allow me to break it down:

• Beans are a great additive to ground meat. You can use as much as a 2:1 ratio meat:bean and still have a predominately meat feel to your dish. I use this most often on taco/burrito night and always have plenty of leftovers to freeze and/or have for lunch the next day.
• Veggies are so versatile! When you pair them with meat (any cut) you get a meal that is more filling and visually satisfying. I've actually found that most recipes can be modified by increasing the amount of vegetables and cutting the amount of meat.
• Rice and pasta are similar in how they are used. You can add them as a side or mix them right into lots of dishes to fill you up and "stretch" the meal.

Oats aren't quite as versatile, but they pair well with ground meats. I use them regularly in sloppy joes and meatloaf. If you don't want to be too obvious about using oats, simply cut the oats up in a food processor first. Adding oats will make the dish more filling/ rib-sticking and in some cases less messy.

What's your favorite meal that utilizes stretcher foods? 

 This post is a revised compilation of two posts I originally published in October 2011 @ oneincomefamilyliving.blogspot.com.