Last week I really wanted stuffed peppers, until I remembered that stuffed peppers (while delicious) take the extra step(s) of cooking the concoction in the oven AND then having to cut said pepper to eat. Some weeks I’m totally fine with that extra effort (it’s not like it’s a lot). Last week was not one of those weeks. I feel like I have been traveling for the past 2 months on and off. Nothing like a lot of time in the car to make your hips hurt (hello, 30) and your motivation to cook to go WAY down. I’m only human after all.

So, since I’ve had a lot of time in cars and away from home, I’ve been compiling some ideas of what to make. I suddenly thought “what if I could make stuffed peppers but not actually stuff the peppers?” I’m a genius, I know. So last week when I was finally home all week I decided to give it a go with items I had around the house and with the latest grocery haul.

Cleaning is the WORST

Don’t get me, wrong, I love to cook and could spend hours doing so. The thing is, I hate to clean my kitchen, especially after cooking. However, sometimes you have to do things you don’t like to do to get to do what you want to do. I mean I don’t like back squatting but I like CrossFit, so I suck it up and back squat. Same goes for cooking and cleaning, love cooking, hate cleaning, so I suck it up and deal….or I tell JJ he has to clean because #teamworkmakesthedreamwork.

Anywho, I know many people do not love to cook or at least do not love the time it takes to cook a delicious and healthy meal. My guess is those who don’t like to cook also do not like to clean up said cooking fiasco. (And yes I get it you can clean as you go or CAYGO but even then it’s a pain in the tush!)

My dentist just asked me at my last appointment if I had seen a certain show on TV and I said: “Honestly, I hate to sound like a snob but I don’t watch that much TV!?” (yes, my mouth had water and crap in it, why do they ask SO MANY questions, ha!)

He was shocked and said, “well then what do you do instead?!” I told him how some nights I don’t get home till late from the gym and then other nights I cook and then subsequently clean up. Any other night I’m sad to say I do work or just go to bed, boring, I know.

That being said, cooking should NOT take all the time in the world but it’s amazing how so many of us say we don’t have time but make time for things like our favorite TV Shows, events, social media scrolling, etc. but we refuse to make time to cook…

One Skillet Meals

I have a semi-solution. It’s making something delicious that is also #sassyapproved and yet doesn’t take infinity years to make and/or clean up. This one-skillet not-so-stuffed peppers dish is easy to make AND requires minimum clean up. YOU ARE WELCOME.

I highly recommend getting yourself a large skillet of sorts and a really good spatula that you enjoy using. If you are going to be cooking for yourself (and/or others) you might as well find ways to enjoy it. And heck, put a TV in your kitchen so you can kill two birds with one stone, ya know?!

Not-So-Stuffed Peppers

Alright, enough blabbing about skillets and spatulas. Enjoy this dish with some cheese, jalapenos, and/or cilantro sprinkled on top. I also sliced up some avocado and put some on top of my dinner because I’m extra just like avocado/guac. The good news is if you REALLY wanted stuffed peppers to show off on the gram (that’s Instagram in case you are like me and have no idea what technology is anymore) you could put this mixture in half a pepper and bake for a few minutes just for the added effort of making food look pretty.

Pro Tip: Use the meat of your choice (ground turkey, chicken, bison etc.) in this dish. It’s more of an “oh crap I forgot to make dinner” meal, so feel free to add your own “this ingredient was found in the back of the fridge and needs to be used ASAP”