
Besides elegant endive and our favorite fiery appetizer, the jalapeño popper, there are so many more veggies that benefit from a little filling. Everything from avocados (yes, technically a fruit, but we’re okay with bending some rules for these creamy beauts) to zucchini make a beautiful canvas to load up with extra flavor. Enjoy these 21 stuffed vegetable recipes — they’re a great way to pack more produce onto your plate and turn veggie haters into lifelong fans.
1. Paleo Stuffed Avocados With Cilantro Cream Sauce: Creamy avocado stuffed with seasoned, shredded chicken and drizzled with a lovely crema are a treat any time. Serve these up for Cinco de Mayo or as a hearty-yet-healthy appetizer for your Super Bowl party. (via Fed and Fit)
2. Cheesy Stuffed Peppers: Tons of cheese and a few briny additions keep these vegetarian stuffed peppers just as exciting as their meat-filled counterparts. (via Devour)
3. Ricotta and Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes: Enjoy the classic Italian flavors stuffed inside these sweet roasted tomatoes. Although an accompaniment is not necessary, a crusty loaf of no-knead bread would bring it to the next level. (via Sugar Et Al)
4. Queso-Stuffed Padron Peppers: Use toasted slices of bread to scoop up these oozing peppers served over a kicky romesco sauce. (via Little Ferraro Kitchen)
5. Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi: A terrific alternative to the usual dill pickles and standard cabbage kimchi. You get a good dose of heat and pickle-y action in every bite. (via K Solomon)
6. Chile Rellenos With Chipotle Cream Sauce: There’s no shortage of stringy, cheesy goodness and spice here. (via Perpetually Hungry)
7. Blue Cheese Guacamole Stuffed Mushrooms With Buffalo Sauce: Everyone will love this fusion of a few favorite appetizers. Loaded with guacamole and blue cheese, they’re nothing short of irresistible. (via Half Baked Harvest)
8. Italian Stuffed Peppers: The filling is nearly a meal in and of itself. Featuring veggies, potatoes, meat and a whole lotta cheese, you’ll be stuffed when you’re through. (via The Nourishing Home)
9. Lemon-Garlic Stuffed Artichokes (Gluten-Free): Simple and elegant, stuffed artichokes are a great way to transition from the jarred kind to a fresher, more delicious approach. (via The Sensitive Foodie)
10. Crab and Couscous Stuffed Tomato Salad: Save this one for when tomatoes are at their peak sweetness at the farmers’ market. A quick-cook stuffing of dressed crab and couscous just screams summertime fun. (via She Knows)
11. Chicken and Mushroom Stuffed Peppers: Packed with tons of produce and flavor, this lightened-up stuffed pepper is crave-worthy fare that you can feel good about. (via Foodie Crush)
12. Caprese Quinoa Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms: Tossing the mushrooms on the grill not only gives them great flavor, but also keeps your kitchen cool at the same time. Serve up these stuffed ‘shrooms at your next cookout. (via Half Baked Harvest)
13. Mexican Millet Stuffed Peppers: A combo of beans and millet make for one filling filling. The host of sweet, savory and spicy additions definitely kick things up a notch too. (via Healthfully Ever After)
14. Vegan Zucchini Sweet Potato Rolls: What a fun new way to stuff zucchini. You’ll love the creamy intermingling of sweet potatoes and avocado in the middle, as well as the abbreviated ingredients list — only FOUR items plus salt and pepper. (via Lemons and Basil)
15. Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms: Make these delish appetizers for any winter celebration — they go from New Year’s to Super Bowl with ease. (via Mummy’s Fast and Easy)
16. Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffed Peppers: In search of a classic, Italian-style stuffed pepper? Look no further: This pesto-enhanced version is a total winner. (via Fork Knife Swoon)
17. Salsa, Bacon and Cheese Dip Stuffed Mushrooms: Let’s just say rich, creamy cheese plus bacon and a spoonful of salsa make for some totally poppable treats. (via Diethood)
18. Smoky Breakfast Stuffed Poblano Peppers: Talk about a great way to wake up your tastebuds in the morning. A hearty hash brown and egg stuffing gives these bad boys some serious staying power. (via A Spicy Perspective)
19. Provencal-Style Stuffed Onions: Serve these well-seasoned onions on the side of a simply roasted chicken or pork loin. Heads up: They just might steal the spotlight. (via The View From the Great Island)
20. Shrimp-Stuffed Avocados With Mango-Jalapeño Salsa: A double dose of mango action enlivens these shrimpy stuffed avocados with a tropical flair. (via Chocolate for Basil)
21. Triple Threat Potatoes: Baked, mashed and fried, these potatoes showcase all of the spud’s good sides in just two bites. (via Brit + Co)
Which vegetables do you enjoy stuffing with flavorful fillings? Share yours with us below!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures