Four Recipes for February

1. Cheesy Stuffed Peppers 

Ingredients 

• 2 lbs ground beef 
• 2 cups cooked brown rice 
• 2 cans (28 ounces) fire roasted crushed tomatoes 
• 8 slices pepper jack cheese or use your favorite cheese 
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 3 cloves garlic, diced 
• 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground 
• 1 teaspoon basil 
• 1 teaspoon oregano 

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
3. While the water is boiling, clean the peppers and cut them in half.
4. Put the pepper halves in the boiling water. Boil for 4 minutes then drain. 
5. In a large skillet brown the ground beef with diced onion and garlic. Drain ground beef into a separate pot, and toss grease in the trash. 
6. Add cooked rice and then stir in crushed tomatoes. 
7. Add and mix cayenne pepper, basil, and oregano. 
8. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. 
9. Place the peppers in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, and fill with the meat mixture. 
10. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 
11. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted. 

2. Bacon Wrapped Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts 

Ingredients: 

• 9 slices of thick-cut bacon
• 3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 2 cups fresh spinach 
• 1 ½ cups goat cheese 
• 3 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
2. In a medium bowl, mix the spinach, goat cheese, cream cheese, and lemon juice together. 
3. Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket in the side of the chicken breast, careful not to cut all  the way through. 
4. Fill the chicken pocket with your mixture from step 2.  
5. Completely wrap each piece of chicken with bacon. 
6. Place wrapped chicken on an oil sprayed and foil-lined baking dish. Put uncovered into the oven. 
7. Cook for 45 – 55 minutes or until chicken and bacon are fully cooked. 

3. Lemon Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Ingredients for Lemon Pineapple Cake: 

•  1 box of lemon cake mix 

Instructions for Lemon Pineapple Cake: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Oil and flour a 9 x 12-inch cake pan. 
3. Follow box instructions to make the cake . 
4. Pour in the cake batter. 
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces package cream cheese, softened 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pure vanilla 
• 1 teaspoon water 
• 4 cups powdered sugar 
• 4 tablespoon butter, softened 
• 8 ounces of pineapple, mashed 
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 3 large eggs, beaten 

Instructions for Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Set pineapple aside.
2. Whip the eggs for a couple of minutes until fluffy. 
3. Combine with the other ingredients, except the pineapple, and mix. 
4. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. Add the crushed pineapple. 
6. Frost the cake when cooled. 

4. Pink Fluff Dip 

Ingredients: 

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, low-fat and room temperature 
• 8-ounces Fluff marshmallow creme
• 1 drop pink food coloring 
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Instructions: 

1. Using an electric mixer mix all the ingredients together until whipped light and fluffy.
2. Serve with fruit or pretzels.  

Diane Sikora 

Social Media Coordinator and Reporter