Welcome back!  I hope your weekend was relaxing and enjoyable.  Thank you to those who entered my giveaway!  I contacted everyone via Facebook so just send me your address if you haven’t yet.

As promised, I wanted to share the recipe I created using local Philadelphia products.

The products I used were:

•Stepped-In-What Tomato Sauce

•North/South Meatery & Canning Co. Pancetta

•PA Noble Cheese, Cave Aged Cheddar

Stuffed Peppers

You will need:

•3 Frying peppers

•3 slices pancetta

•1 small onion, chopped

•2 oz. sharp cheese, such as an aged cheddar, cut in small cubes

•1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

•1/3 cup tomato sauce

•1 Tbs. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Begin by washing peppers.  Cut the top of the pepper off and clean seeds out.  If you want, you can cut the top off so that it is a lid for the pepper.

2. Cook pancetta in a pan at medium heat until crispy.  Remove pancetta and let cool on a paper towel.    Do not clean the pan!  Throw the onion in the pan and sauté in pancetta fat until soft and caramelized.

3.  When onions are finished cooking, put in a bowl and add pancetta, cheese, bread crumbs, and sauce.  Mix until the consistency is thick and paste-like.

4. Using a spoon, stuff each pepper with the mixture until the mixture reaches the top.  When full, place each pepper on a piece of foil and then place the foil on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle the peppers with olive oil.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until peppers are soft and lightly browned on top.

Serve over heated sauce and enjoy!