This is the perfect appetizer or hors d’oeuvre for your next party!  Jalapeno peppers are spicy, but the most spicy part of the pepper are its seeds.  So please make sure to wear latex / rubber gloves when removing the seeds (and do not touch your eyes or face during that time), otherwise it can really burn.  But all of the safety precautions are worth it, because no restaraunt holds a candle to these jalapeno poppers!!

Ingredients:
- 10 jalapeno peppers
- 6 ounces of cream cheese
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 TB milk
- 2 TB italian seasoning
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup flour

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Use butter or non-stick spray to coat a cookie sheet.

3. Combine the cream cheese, cheddar and mozzarella together with the cayenne pepper.

4. Mix together the eggs, milk and 1 TB of italian seasoning.

5. In another dish, mix the bread crumbs and 1 TB of italian seasoning.

6. Slice the jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds (PLEASE make sure to wear latex gloves, or else it can really burn).

7. Fill each jalapeno pepper half with 1 TB of the cheese filling.

8. Dunk each pepper in a bowl with the flour, followed by a dunk in the egg bowl, followed by a dunk in the breadcrumbs. 

9. Put all of the finished peppers on the greased cookie sheet and bake until the outside is a crispy brown color (30 minutes or so).

Classic sausage and peppers is home cooking at its best!  This dish is super flavorful, quick and delicious.  If you want a spicier dish, you can use hot sausage links instead of the sweet sausage links (or try a combination of both).

Ingredients:
- 8 links of sausage (sweet or hot and spicy)
- 3 TB butter or olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 sweet onions (use red onions if you want a more spicy dish)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 -3 bell peppers (yellow, green or red bell peppers)
- 2 tsp italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Brown the sausage links evenly on all sides in a frying pan.

2. Cut the sausage links into slices (or “pennies” as my grandmother used to say!)

3. Cook the onions and garlic in the butter or olive oil in the same frying pan.  Add the peppers and italian seasoning.  Cook for 2-3 more minutes.

4. Add the white wine to the pan and cook until the onions and peppers are soft.

5. Add the sausage “pennies” back and mix with the onions and peppers.  Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Tip: Serve over italian rolls or fresh pasta… perfection!!!

Green, red and yellow stuffed peppers make a gorgeous and colorful dish that is full of flavor.  This recipe only takes about an hour and a half (and one hour of that is baking the stuffed peppers!)… who knew a recipe so beautiful and delicious would be so fast and simple?!?

Ingredients:
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 cup white rice, long grain
- 1 cup water
- 6 bell peppers (red, yellow, green or a combination)
- 2 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 2 TB Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine 1/2 cup rice with 1 cup of water in a pot.  Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the pot for 20-25 minutes.

3. While the rice is cooking, brown the groun beef in a pan.

4. Cut the top off of the peppers and scoop out the insides. 

5. Stand up the bell peppers in an oven-safe dish.  You may need to cut the bottoms of the peppers a bit to make them flat so that they stand properly.

6. Mix together the rice, beef, one of the two cans of tomato sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

7. Fill the pepper shells with the rice / beef mixture.

8. Combine the remaining can of tomato sauce with the italian seasoning and pour this mixture on top of the stuffed peppers.

9. Place the peppers in the oven and cook for around 1 hour, checking every 15 minutes to spoon the sauce over the peppers and to check for when the peppers become soft.