Serving up Stuffed Peppers!

The first dish I ever really tried cooking were stuffed peppers. I have always loved bell peppers. There's just something about the refreshing taste & the crunch that always made me a fan. Plus, since bell peppers are mostly water-based (93.3% to be exact) it was an even easier option to start cooking healthy with a pretty basic dish.







If you're interested in making your own, see the ingredients and directions below. If you have made other versions of stuffed peppers let me know in the comments below!

XO Cara

Ingredients: 

3/4 cup dry brown rice (2 cups cooked)

5 medium red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp canola oil, divided

1 lb chicken, diced into 3/4-inch pieces

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chiles

1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2/3 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Sour cream

Mexican style hot sauce (such as Tapatio or Cholula, optional) 

Directions: 

Prepare brown rice according to directions listed on package. Halfway through brown rice cooking, preheat one to 375 degrees and begin making, filling and boiling peppers.

Bring a large pot of water to a  boil. Cut peppers in half through length (top to bottom), seed and devein peppers, then boil 4-5 minutes (fully immersing them in the water), just until tender. Drain well and align in baking pans then set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden about 5 minutes, then add garlic and sauté 30 seconds longer, transfer onion mixture to a plate. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the skillet and add chicken. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, the paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomatoes, onion mixture, black beans, corn, cooked brown rice, remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook just until heated through.

Add a heaping 1/2 cup of the mixture to each pepper half (and slightly press as filling to fit). Pour enough water into bottom of baking dishes to reach 1/8-inch in height (careful not to pour it in peppers). Cover baking dishes with foil and bake 30 - 35 minutes, until peppers are soft. Remove from oven, sprinkle tops evenly with cheese then return to oven to bake until cheese has melted, about 3 minutes longer.

Serve warm topped with more cilantro, sour cream and hot sauce if desired.