Meatless Stuffed Bell Peppers

Sooo... bell peppers are my favorite food. I could eat them every day. They also happen to be really good for you! Also... they happened to be on sale for $1 a piece at the grocery the other day. No, I did not buy 10. But I wanted to.

I did buy 5 though so I needed to come up with some fun ways to serve them. Enter this stuffed bell pepper recipe (from this blog). 

This recipe was easy and fast and I had most of the ingredients on hand already. Paul and Wilder felt it turned out a little too spicy but I was fine with it. Paul's not usually sensitive to heat so I don't know what was up with that but, anyway, you should adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 very large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)

1 Tbs salt

1/2 C white rice (or  brown if you want to take the time to cook it), quinoa also works

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)

1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 green onions, sliced

1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted

1 1/4 C jack or pepperjack cheese, divided

3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

tortilla chips, just a handful and more for serving if desired.

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides.  Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt.   Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.  Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes.  Drain thoroughly.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro.  Stir to combine well and give it a taste.  Add additional salt, pepper, and chipotle powder to your liking.  

  

Place peppers in a baking dish. Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there :) and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. 

Notes

*I did make a special trip to the grocery to get fire roasted diced tomatoes and I think it was totally worth it. I had never heard of them but I liked the flavor they added.
*I used 1/2 tsp of chipotle chili powder and about 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper. Adjust to your liking.

*I boiled the bell peppers longer than the recipe called for, about 10-12 min. and they turned out fork tender. Adjust cooking time to your liking.