Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

By mitzzy

We get loads of requests for meatless meals. Both from those avoiding meat for dietary reasons, and more commonly for those trying to incorporate meatless meals for budget purposes. I'm not gonna lie- I like meat. A lot. Which is why it takes a really great meatless meal to make me happy and this one fits the bill. (There's also an awesome veggie-packed meatless taquito recipe in our cook book. One of my faves!)

Ingredients

• 4 large or 6 small-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)
• 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
• 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
• 1/4 black pepper
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
• 1 1/4 C jack or pepperjack cheese, divided
• 3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
• tortilla chips, just a handful and more for serving if desired.

Preparation

Step 1

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. Place peppers in a baking dish. 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. 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.