Debbie Kotchey's Italian-Style Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers

We are delighted to showcase one of our happy customers sharing her great cooking recipes in her VitaClay!

"...I can contest in that my Italian-Style Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers were absolutely delicious cooked in my VitaClay! They were moist, full of flavor and cooked in just under 1 hour. And I love that I didn’t have to heat up my oven to make these peppers-a great kitchen appliance for summer time!"

- Debbie Kotchey

Can tomatoes protect your skin? There is a magical component in tomatoes that research is beginning to show could protect our skin from UV damage from sunburn. It's called lycopene and it is a very effective antioxidant. As a defense against UV rays, the body tans when exposed to moderate levels of radiation. 

It is tomato season and chances to eat lots of tomatoes! It is good for your heart, protecting you from sunburn on your skin...

Rich in vitamin C, which plays a role in the formation of collagen, the connective tissue in your gums, muscles, and skin. The vitamin supports normal brain function and helps keep your immune system working properly as well.

Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, which is an antioxidant that might reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and macular degeneration. The cooking process brings out more of the lycopene in tomatoes. Tomatoes also contain other antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, that help fight cell damage that can cause cancer, heart disease, and other chronic health conditions.

Eat cooked tomatoes with a small amount of food that contains fat, such as olive oil or cheese that fat helps your body absorb the lycopene and antioxidants in cooked tomatoes.

      

Ingredients:

• 4 bell peppers, tops and cores removed, reserve tops
• 1 1/2 lb. ground meatloaf mix (or ground beef)
• 1 tbsp. garlic-infused olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups canned plum tomatoes and their juice, divided*
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.  Place the tomatoes in a bowl and roughly chop with a knife.
2. In a skillet, brown and cook ground meatloaf mix. Drain fat and place in a large bowl. Wipe skillet clean.
3. In the same skillet, add garlic-infused olive oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan. Sauté until just tender. Add 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes, simmer about 5 minutes until tomatoes cook down some.
4. Add onion-tomato mixture to the cooked meat. Add in Parmesan cheese, mix well.
5. To the VitaClay clay pot, add the remaining tomatoes and their juices.
6. Fill the bell peppers with the meat mixture and place them on top of the tomatoes in the VitaClay. Top with bell pepper tops.
7. Place the lid on the VitaClay (be sure the silicone steam plugs are in the clay lid). And set slow for 1 hour. After 45 minutes or when the peppers are soft, open the slow cooker and the cheese on top of the peppers. Close and cook until cheese is melted.