I had someone ask the other day if you can "can" stuffed green peppers.  The short answer is no but, you can pressure-can them as a soup under the NCHFP Soup Guidelines.  I searched out and read up on a number of Stuffed Pepper Soups that called for various items from cider vinegar to parsley and chili powder - for this thick soup, I went with the flavor profile I prefer.  I wanted a hint of basil to come through all the tomato and bell pepper goodness and a bit of sweetness from some sugar to offset any overly acidic tomatoes.  From the broth to the tomatoes, onions and peppers - you can use all your own homemade or homegrown items in this soup as well.  If you'd like to make this soup to serve and not 'can' it - then cut the recipe exactly in half.  My canning recipe yields approximately 5 quarts total.  You DO NOT CAN RICE *add rice when opening jars to heat/eat. 
​ ~Enjoy! Diane 

​Diane's Stuffed Pepper Soup 
*for Pressure Canning
makes 5 Quarts

Ingredients: 
2 Lbs Ground Beef (1 lbs 80%, 1 lbs 93%)
4 Cups Onions, chopped 
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
6 Cups Sweet Bell Peppers, cleaned, peeled & chopped
1-1/2 Quarts Beef Broth 
1 Quart (or 28oz can) Diced Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Tomato Paste 
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Basil 
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1 Quart Tomato Sauce 
1/4 Cup of Sugar

Directions: 
   Place ground beef and onions in a large soup/stock pot.  Add salt & pepper over mixture, let that cook down (stir often)  over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until meat is no longer pink.  Place cooked onion and beef mixture into a colander over a drip bowl in sink (to let as much fat drain off as possible, use the back of a large wooden spoon to press the meat against colander.  While meat is draining off fat - place all the chopped bell peppers into the stock pot and let cook for about 3 minutes, then add all the remaining ingredients, bring up to a medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Taste the soup for any additional seasonings. Prepare your pressure canner and jars for canning, fill jars half full with solids and top off with remaining liquid/broth from soup to 1-inch head-space.
Process Quarts for 90 minutes and Pints for 75 minutes according to your canner type and altitude.  (I use the higher processing time called out in NCHFP's Ground Meat for my own personal safety measure and the filling procedure and Guidelines for NCHFP's Soups - listed below.)  
If preferred, add in cooked rice upon heating this soup to eat as rice is unsafe to can. 

NCHFP Soup Guidelines:  http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/soups.html

Recipe & Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home
Recipe Adapted/Inspired by: Cooking Classy  
 

**Guest Post:  ..."My mom has been making this stuff every holiday season, for as long as I can remember. The list of family members and friends who love it, keeps getting longer. She makes about 50 gallons every year. That keeps her busy mixing and cooking, for several days.  We've adjusted the recipe for a smaller batch! JD Provence, Texas..."  

     I can attest to the savory and addicting nature of this snack mix as Margie sent me some a few years back.  So, we warned you! this is super popular and very easy to eat!!  I do think adding in dried wasabi peas slows you down from eating it all too fast - LOL that's your call... ~Enjoy! Diane

Margie's TV Trash

Ingredients: 
2 boxes Crispix Cereal 
1 box Cheese Nips crackers 
1 box Rice Chex 
1 box Cheerios 
1 large can Shoestring potatoes
1 large package Corn Nuts 
4 cups:  Mixed Nuts, your choice

Other Ideas to add: 
Frito's,Cheetos,Pretzels,Goldfish crackers, Chinese rice crackers,dried wasabi peas
(anything crunchy - your choice) 

Coating: (see kitchen note below) 
2 cups butter
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
2 Tbsp cayenne pepper, or to taste 
2 Tbsp Onion powder
2 Tbsp Garlic powder

Melt butter, add Worcestershire and seasonings, pour over cereal mix, toss well. Pour into large baking pans, cook at 250F ONE hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Pour into large container to cool. Enjoy!!!

Kitchen Notes: 
 1) You want to coat all the snack pieces with the butter/spice mixture - just enough to lightly coat so that the spices stick. You do not want to drench or soak the mixture in the butter/spice coating.  I prefer to add the coating a little at a time until I am sure everything has a light coat and then place into oven. 
2) Remember, all crunchy ingredients are optional, and anything crunchy, that you like, that is not listed in the recipe, only makes it better! (Except those little wasabi green peas!!! LOL)

Family Recipe shared by: Margie Slentz & JD Provence 
​Photo by: Margie Slentz