What to serve with....

@Modestah (11179)
United States
May 8, 2008 9:31am CST
Tonight I am making something I have not made in a long long time. years, actually. Stuffed Baked Green Bell Peppers. I am going to stuff them with a rice mixture not very unlike spanish rice... I will then top it with a little extra seasoned tom. sauce and some cheese. What shall I serve with this meal? I was thinking garlic toast.... but is there anything else? it seems to be a meal in one kind of idea but I know my family will want some more variety on their plates.
4 people like this
21 responses
@heart143 (1202)
• Philippines
9 May 08
Wow! That's a nice meal! I think I like to make that Stuffed Green Bell Pepper too and I think I would like to serve it with some fish fillet and orange juice. My husband would truly like that. Thanks for the nice dinner idea !
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
oh heart you have given me an idea! the next time I make stuffed peppers I will make them on a friday and not put meat in the rice... I will then make some fish filets to go with! that really does sound like a nice side. What do you put on your fish... a lemon and pepper seasoning might work well.
@heart143 (1202)
• Philippines
9 May 08
Yes, I put lemon, pepper and a little salt. I let it stand for a few minutes and then I soak each fillet in beaten egg, dredge with flour and then fry till golden brown. For the dip, it can be sweet chili sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon butter or any dip you like. Yummy!
1 person likes this
@kykidd (6812)
• United States
8 May 08
Very interesting discussion you have started here. I myself would agree with you, that it is a meal within itself. I suppose maybe some mashed potatoes would be alright with this meal.
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
8 May 08
now that is something I would not have thought of, thanks for contributing.
@judy43 (299)
• United States
9 May 08
Great idea. Mashed potatoes would be great with these peppers. Invite me to dinner
• United States
9 May 08
Oh I love those! I have never made them before because I don't have the recipe for them. But my ex mother-in-law use to make them for me. I haven't eaten them in too many years to count. Garlic bread is good to have with them, so is corn bread or biscuits. Other than that, I don't know what you would have with them.
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
:) they are really not difficult. check back with my discussions I will try to put up how I made them tomorrow.
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
8 May 08
That sounds great! I haven't fixed those lately and I may have just gotten an idea for dinner tomorrow night. IT does sound good. We usually don't fix anything with them as they are a meal in their own. I think that garlic bread and a salad would be a great addition to the meal. I would make it a light salad but it would make a nice addition.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
I did decide to make a tomato and cuke salad with sliced onions... it was a nice and light side. I also made some corn on the cob which the yellow really enhanced the greens and reds.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
8 May 08
My sister in law actually made them not too long ago. She just served them with a speciality bread and salad...and that was enough for all of us..
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
I think that is a nice selection to put together :) it worked well for us!
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
9 May 08
How about a salad? maybe even add in a dessert. It really is one of those meals that can go it alone but if you feel your family would want something else then I think that would work pretty well. Personally the peppers are enough for me. Wish I could join you. I love them and my kids don't so occassionally I splurge at the deli and buy a single serving. it is good but not the same as homemade.
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
a light zesty salad was a good companion to the peppers. do your kids like the "stuffing" if so maybe you can serve them the innards without the pepper - while you prepare yours in the pepper?
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
8 May 08
wow....I can feel every one will be eating quietly with what you are preparing Modestah! LOL, We are like that in my family, when we get the best food, we are all quiet eating,LOL, concentrating the food! Have a great dinner ahead!
1 person likes this
@mummymo (23706)
8 May 08
MMMMMMMMMQ I have never tried this but is sounds wonderful! I used to stuffed baked, steak tomatoes when I was on holiday in Greece and this sounds really similar! Garlic bread sounds good but what about a lovely fresh , crisp salad too? xxxx
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
oh it was so good! and a salad was the ideal side!
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
oh it was so good! and a salad was the ideal side!
1 person likes this
@mummymo (23706)
9 May 08
MMM I wish I could make that for dinner tonight - sounds so much better than the pasta, salad and crusty bread I am planning on! lol Still I am teaching my son to make different things and pasta has to be a good one, best keeping it simple for now! xxx
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
8 May 08
What about a side salad? The garlic toast seems like a good idea I think I would just throw in a side salad with it since you will already ahve alot of carbs by using rice and garlic toast.
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
8 May 08
a side salad does sound like a nice idea - you are right, there is plenty of starch already in the meal. A nice romaine salad might round it out well.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
8 May 08
The side salad someone suggested would be good. If it were me, I would serve something sweet, such as a little turkey sausage cooked with diced apples or pineapple tidbits. The stuffed peppers are very wholesome and vegetable based, a little meat with some sweet would set them off perfectly! If that's not your cup of tea, what about adding a few walnuts, grated carrots and mandarin orange slices to your salad? That's always great! Some oriental salad dressing would make it perfect.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
8 May 08
I love the suggestion of adding mandarin oranges to the salad! thanks.
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
8 May 08
This is a tough one because it really is a meal in and of itself. The only thing that is missing is a meat, if you also eat meat. If it didn't have rice in it, I would have suggested a rice side dish. It has the veggie with the pepper so, a lettuce /mixed greens salad seems like veggie overkill. Perhaps a dessert of some sort? Maybe ice cream. You could try another form of salad like a bean salad using kidney beans, chic peas, black beans and corn with maybe italian dressing or something. If you look in a cook book or online, I am sure you could find a good bean salad recipe of some sort. That is sort of the best I can suggest. But, thinking about it, I think your best bet would be a bean salad. It is neither meat which seems too heavy given the fact that the peppers are the meal, nor is it another veggie. Yup! A bean salad is a good idea. LOL! ****corjo pats her own back, ever so gracefully so as not to pull a muscle****
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
I actually had made the rice up with the meat in it. the bean salad would have made a nice accompaniment.
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
9 May 08
That sounds good! And, I guess that you have a suggestion for the next time you make it! Man...this whole conversation has made me hungry again! LOL!
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
8 May 08
Yum! I don't like the peppers themselves, so I usually make all the filling and put it in the peppers then pile the rest into the dish around the peppers, and that's what I eat. Garlic bread or biscuits/rolls of some sort would be good. Depending on what you actually stuffed them with, maybe something like stovetop stuffing would work too.
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
the filling is my favorite too and I made a huge pot of rice.... I usually do not care for the peppers themselves, but the rest of the family does...which is strange because I generally like bell peppers. Well, I did it different this time, I did not boil the peppers before stuffing and baking them. They came out quite well. I also sliced the peppers in half lengthwise rather than cutting the tops off and filling them.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
8 May 08
Suffed peppers is one of those all in one meals. You've got your veggie and your rice, so it calls for little else. The only thing I can really think of that may go with it is perhaps some italian sausage.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
8 May 08
ah, maybe I should have put THAT on the outside instead of putting the meat in the rice.... too late now, but a good idea for another time.
@amerexp (25)
• United States
8 May 08
Stuffed Pepper is a dish my family loves! (Even my little kids!) I always serve garlic toast with it and usually a cold pasta salad, like macaroni salad, which is "cool" to the tongue expecially if you make your stuffing spicy!
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
do you stuff your peppers with a rice concoction or veggie mix?
@My2Cents (291)
• Canada
9 May 08
Well - you already have a veggie, starch and meat. What about simply adding a Caesar salad, or mixed greens?
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
an excellent suggestion, my2cents
• Canada
8 May 08
Hmm , I love the idea of stuffed bell peppers , they look so nice and it is such an easy meal. Do you add meat in with your rice ? If so I wouldn't think you would want any other meat dishes on the side. I do like your idea of the garlic toast , and other members suggestion of a side salad . I have a side question do any of your family members object to having to eat a whole bell pepper ? I suppose you could make them in various sizes. I know my husband doesn't like more than a few bites of green pepper so this dishes doesn't go over well with him .
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
yes, I do put the meat in the rice stuffing - usually it would be sausage but because my son has a condition to where he can not eat much in the way of fats we buy him 96% ground beef. I just used ground beef for everyone's. I did it a little different this time in that I sliced the peppers in half lengthwise and filled each half, rather than having the whole pepper standing up filled from the top. This was great because my 6 year old did not care to eat an entire pepper and rice can be filling (not just for the pepper, but little tummies as well) so she was able to eat half a pepper and it was just right for her. I also do not care much for the peppers in stuffed peppers usually beyond a couple bites - but this time I did not boil the peppers in advance of stuffing and baking - and it really came out wonderfully. I reckon I just did not care for boiled peppers.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
8 May 08
I used to have a friend that made those and she'd always make scalloped or au gratin potatoes with them and a veggie. I haven't had them in a long time but now you've got me thinking about them. **AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
that is different, I just never thought of serving potatoes with a rice dish... interesting.
• New Zealand
9 May 08
Well once i was served something very simillar and it was horrible.I wonder why she did not stuff the pepper with meat.I like my peppers stuffed with potatoes, peas, tomatoes,chilli.I am sure you must have made it yum.I hope!! How about serving with some fries or cripsy potatoes, beans, carrots drizzled with sweet that chilli sauce.It will taste yum Can anyone tell me how you make garlic toast?? I havent made it ever. Thanks. Did you fry or bake the peppers??
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
9 May 08
hi cool! I like the carrot idea. The peppers were stuffed with rice, meat, tomato, cheese, onion, garlic and herbs/spices. they were then baked. I made the garlic toast by slicing a long loaf of Italian (can use french) bread in half length wise - opening it up. I then like to saute some garlic in butter and brush the melted butter with garlic over the bread... then sprinkle some dried herbs over that - lightly. such as rosemary, basil, thyme... you get the idea. I then place the two halves (still open) under the broiler for about 5 minutes till lightly golden. you can also just spread the bread with margarine or butter and sprinkle garlic powder over it.
@ladyljs (1303)
• United States
8 May 08
Oh that sounds so yummy! Garlic bread would be my choice...but I know my kids and they would want something gooey, like mac n cheese to go with that bell pepper.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
8 May 08
LADY!!!! Wow! its you, really! I have missed you, girl! aw.... so glad to "see you"
• United States
9 May 08
So when is dinner? ( LOL ) what your makeing is one of my favorites. I myself haven't had that in a while and want to. Your family is so lucky to have you that makes them good meals such as this one. As for what to serve w/ it I would say the garlic toast sounds good. I would just be happy to get the stuffed baked green bell peppers. I hope you enjoy it and have some for me too ( lol ) Take care.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
10 May 08
aw, you are very kind. to find out what all was served with our green pepper meal - please take a look at my discussions, I just started a new one - complete with photograph! I think you should go ahead and make some stuffed peppers, they are not very difficult or time consuming and a nice treat for yourself.