Cheddar-Topped Veggie Beef Skillet Dinner

Ingredients

Contains: milk (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 1 cup pearl barley
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Combine the pearl barley and 3 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 30 minutes until tender and the water is absorbed.

2. While the barley cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, about 6 minutes until browned and it reaches 160°F (71°C). Drain excess fat.

3. Add the chopped onion and red bell pepper to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt and black pepper, and cook 1 minute.

4. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, chopped zucchini and rinsed and drained kidney beans. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes, until the zucchini is tender.

5. Stir the cooked barley into the skillet and heat through, about 3 minutes.

6. Sprinkle the shredded reduced-fat Cheddar over the top, cover and cook about 2 minutes until melted. Serve hot.