I stumbled across this drafted post I wrote two years ago. I’m not sure why I never published it. It would have made my grandma happy to see it.My grandmother was a very thrifty lady. She was a wonderful seamstress and could make clothes for herself or kids, or, more importantly, take an old outfit and update it a bit so she didn’t have to buy something brand new. In the kitchen she was amazing. She cooked up wonderful food and her desserts were delicious.

One thing my grandmother always talked about was making stuffed peppers. She would save all leftover food and freeze it. Then she would take whatever made sense, mix it all up, and throw it in some peppers. When she used to tell me this, I was still a picky eater and would think, “Gross.” Now? I know it is genius.

I’m the kind of gal who always follow recipes. I don’t trust myself in the kitchen to just wing it. But with stuffed peppers, I know I can be creative!

When I make stuff peppers, I cut off the tops and hollow out the body of the pepper. Then I throw the pepper into boiling water for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, I dice up the tops of the peppers (minus the stems, of course) and toss them into a pot with whatever I want. Some good staples are corn, onions, black beans, rice and a small handful of cheese. I cook those long enough to make sure the rice (or pasta) is done.

If you like a little kick, you can add spices or spicier peppers. The rice is a nice solid base to keep the meal more filling. Beyond that though, go crazy. Meats (faux or real), other veggies or maybe some other types of pasta would make good additions.

And this is where I learn from my grandma. All those things you can toss in can be leftovers! This week I’ve been saving up caramelized onions and peppers, taco fixings and stir-fry leftovers. The flavors shouldn’t mesh but it all seems to work out for a yummy meal.

This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.