Gochujang Ground Beef with Roasted Garlic & Green Pepper
This spicy-sweet gochujang ground beef is packed with roasted garlic, green pepper, and scallions. Fast, bold, and endlessly versatile—serve it in lettuce wraps, rice bowls, or tacos.
Hatch Chile Flavor Bomb Ice Cubes
Roasted, blended, and ready to level up whatever you’re cooking
I’m lucky. I live just a few minutes from my sister, and most weekends you’ll find our families together — chasing kids, tag-teaming baseball practices, sharing meals, and picking up the slack if one of us is flying solo while the other’s out of town. It’s one of the biggest blessings of my life, and it means our kids get to grow up with their cousins like siblings.
One of our favorite shared traditions is Hatch Chile Fest at Wegmans every August. We split a case of fire-roasted Hatch chiles and stash gallon ziplocks in the freezer — enough to make it through the year with that smoky, green magic just a thaw away.
Last week I pulled out a bag and decided to make a prep-ahead flavor bomb — something I could freeze into cubes and drop into whatever I’m cooking. Like the air fryer roasted garlic I love so much, but with chile fire and depth. These little cubes are insanely useful: stir into beans, melt into taco meat, add to eggs or soup, or blitz into a sauce with crema or cheese.
The Recipe: Hatch Chile Flavor Bomb Cubes
Ingredients (makes ~2 ice cube trays):
- 4 cups roasted Hatch chiles (peeled, de-seeded)
- ½ onion, roughly chopped (optional)
- 1–2 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- Splash of water or broth, just to blend
Instructions:
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor.
- Blend into a thick purée — salsa verde texture.
- Taste and adjust for salt and lime.
- Spoon into silicone ice cube trays and freeze solid.
- Pop out cubes and store in a freezer bag for up to 6 months.
Use These Cubes to Elevate:
- Pinto beans, soups, stews, or chili
- Scrambled eggs or quesadillas
- Roasted veggies or sheet pan chicken
- Tacos, tostadas, burrito bowls
- A fast creamy sauce (blend with crema or sour cream)
- Instant green chile cheese dip (melt with jack or cheddar)
Little Things Add Up
It’s not just about the cubes. It’s about carving out time for something that makes your everyday life easier, tastier, and a little more joyful. I’ve come to realize that prep-ahead flavor — like a freezer stash of garlic or Hatch chile cubes — is one small way I take care of my future self. And that, my friend, is part of embracing enough.
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