During the winter I will use my slow-cooker 1 to 3 nights a week, and I will even find a recipe and manipulate it in a way I can make it in a slow-cooker meal, hence where this recipe came from. We enjoyed this dinner while I was on my second week of my 30-Day Weight Loss Program. Regardless of what month it is, you can do this program too. Send me an email and I can set you up and get you enrolled.

As for sourcing ingredients, I am getting rather handy at ordering groceries via Amazon Prime/Whole Foods, but I have always benefited from my Thrive Market membership. Not only do they have the best marinara sauce I have ever had (sorry to all of my Italian friends) but we love their shower and body products too.

Enjoy this recipe and be sure to read my “Notes” below for some nutrition tips!

PS, if you have ever been curious what my pantry looks like, here is a sneak peek.

Unstuffed Pepper Casserole

Kelly Schmidt
Taking a traditional stuffed pepper recipe, converting it into a casserole all while using a handy slow-cooker, making this a hands-off meal.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Slow-cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil (or avocado oil)
  • 3 ea bell peppers, chopped I used a bag of mini peppers from Costco.
  • 1 lb bison (or other minced/ground meat of choice)
  • 1 ea onion, chopped
  • 2 ea garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 24 oz jar of Thrive Market marinara sauce I love their Basil flavor and keto option
  • 2 bags Full Green Cauli Rice Review notes below for a link, or you can use 1 large frozen cauliflower rice.
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 6 oz organic tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Turn on your slow-cooker and set it to "high." Cover with the lid and begin prepping the vegetables.
  • Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Set aside to reap the health benefits of the garlic before adding it to the heat.
  • Rinse, then shop the bell peppers. Add olive oil to the bottom of the slow-cooker and begin to layer in the vegetables with the garlic and onion first, then peppers.
  • add in the spices, including the salt and pepper, cauliflower and stir until everything is blended. Add in the bison.
  • Top the ingredients with the marinara sauce and tomato paste (like a cherry ontop). Allow the dish to cook for 30 minutes to an hour before mixing everyhing together.
  • After 30 minutes, mix all ingredients and turn the slow-cooker to low to cook for the remaining time (to add up to 6 hours in total).

Notes

We enjoyed this meal with a side of rice to add more carbohydrates to the vegetable and fiber-rich dish. When I cook rice, I cook it as instructed in the package, but I let it cool before eating, to lessen the blood sugar spike and to create resistant starch (a very gut-friendly fiber) in the rice.
As for garlic, when we prep garlic and chop or mince it, letting it sit for 10 minutes or more before adding it to heat, it enhances the cancer-fighting properties of this nutritious food.
Here is. a link to the cauliflower I always have readily available in my pantry: https://amzn.to/3oGfpWj. it's great for dishes like this and soups!
Keyword Low carb, Real food, whole30