I will definitely be making these stuffed peppers again! Not everyone in my family would eat them because vegetables "are so gross," but my parents and I absolutely loved them. These stuffed peppers are perfect just as the recipe from the food blog Tastes Better From Scratch has them. I chose to make the filling with quinoa, and it was so good that I would also make it as a side! The fun part about this meal is that while there is a recipe for the filling, you can also experiment and adjust to add ingredients that are at your house already. Especially when it is more difficult to just go out to the store, it is important to be able to improvise when cooking, and yes this recipe does call for bell peppers, but other than that, the rest can be left to the imagination, if you so chose!
ingredients ~
6 sweet bell peppers (red, yellow, orange preferably)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (white brown, cauliflower rice or quinoa)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, mild
1 (14-oz.) can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
recipe ~
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut 1/4-inch from tops of bell peppers and remove the stem, ribs and seeds.
3. Fill a large baking dish with 1/2-inch of water.
4. Place peppers cut-side down in the water and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add corn, beans, diced tomatoes, green onions, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove skillet from heat and stir in rice, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Taste and add additional seasonings, if needed.
7. Remove peppers from oven and drain water from dish. Divide the mixture evenly between the peppers, then top with remaining cheese. Return to oven for 10-15 more minutes, until peppers are tender and cheese is melted.
8. Store leftover peppers in the refrigerator, covered for 4-5 days.
Yum! Great one for when cooking for meat eaters and veggies because you can specialize each one! Or even like pizza night where you lay out ingredients and everyone makes their own. So much variety. Great idea!