NJ THIS WEEKEND!!!! :)

This weekend, me and my family are traveling up to NJ. My Aunt Michelle just went in for an operation on her knee, which had the same condition my Dad's had. The operation went very well, however, my aunt will be off of her feet for 2 weeks. So, as a special treat, me and my Dad are going to make a special dish we invented for her. We like to call them "magic peppers". Here is the recipe:

You will need:

6 red bell peppers
9 slices of bacon
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb ground pork
1/4 of an onion, diced
1 can of mushrooms (optional)
Aluminum Foil
A dab of oil (for mushrooms, meat, and onions)
6 slices of muenster cheese

Prep:

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, line your baking sheet with foil. While your oven is still preheating, wash your peppers and cut the top and bottom off and gut them out. Place them standing up on your baking sheet. Next, start your ground pork in a frying pan. Make sure it is completely defrosted and broken into small pieces. I recommend using a tiny bit of oil in your frying pan for better flavor. While it is frying, dice up your 1/4 onion and toss it in with your pork. If you prefer to keep your ingredients separate, you do not need to fry your onions with the pork. However, I find it is a great time saver. After your pork is nicely browned, remove it from the stove and dump it into a bowl. 

Now, open your can of mushrooms. Make sure to drain them completely before frying them on the stove in a small bit of oil. It should take about 5-10 minutes for them to brown. When they are done, remove them from the stovetop and place them in a bowl. (If you want to keep your meat and mushrooms warm while cooking bacon, set them NEAR the cooling burner. The heat from the burner should keep it relatively warm. 

Now, it is time to cook your bacon! While me and Dad prefer to use our George Forman mini grill to cook our bacon, you can make yours however your want, to whatever level of crispiness you want. Take nine slices of bacon (I recommend hickory smoked), and cut them in half. Cook these pieces to your satisfaction. Afterwards, break the bacon into small pieces. 

Take your cheese out and set it aside in a separate bowl. Now it is time for my favorite part of making this treat- stuffing the peppers!!!! While you can stuff them with any different layer combo, I prefer to do this for my peppers: (Chart shows layers from bottom to top)

Muenster Cheese Ground Pork w/ Onions
Cheese
Mushrooms
Bacon (about 3 slices per pepper)
Ground Pork w/ Onions
... And top your pepper off with another nice layer of cheese!

As soon as your oven is done preheating, put your peppers in and cook them for about 30-45 minutes. Take them out when they are done, and enjoy!!! I find this is a very good recipe to do together with your family, as it has so many things that can be done- someone can cook the bacon, someone can cook the meat and mushrooms, someone can gut the peppers, and someone can arrange the peppers.
Serves 6
Copywright 2013, Madison Nef and Wayne Nef

Well, if you happen to try me and my Dad's recipe, please comment down below and tell me how it turned out!! If you'd like, comment your own favorite recipe! I am pretty open to trying new things, so if you leave a good recipe, I will attempt to make it and tell you how it turned out.

Thanks,
Maddie