Fiesta Stuffed Bell Peppers


Pepper Pots

Si amigos, it’s Saturday and I am still into types of stuffing recipes. Now Poblano peppers first came to mind and rightly so. Been there, done that with my Chiles en Nogada recipe.

Today it’s a kitchen sink or rather a cupboard version using ingredients I found in my cabinets and fridge. Nothing fancy but man, what a great outcome. Some days I just surprise myself. You can use green, red or yellow bell peppers, whatever you have on hand or whatever is on sale, I happened to have a couple each of red and green. In the notes below, I mention steaming the peppers which I think brings about a sweeter taste but you can boil them in simmering water if you want, just keep them submerged for a few minutes until the flesh becomes pliable. You can also leave out the meat if you like; it has enough good stuff to satisfy an appetite without missing a beat.

One good thing about this type of dish is it freezes well after preparing. Divide it up, cook what you want and freeze the rest for another night. Just thaw and cook accordingly. The dish is really cooked after assembly but by allowing it to further cook in the oven, everything sort of melds together, the cheese forms a topping and your senses and hungry tummy gets a workout. Enjoy!

Fiesta Stuffed Peppers
serves 4 really hungry folks, or 8 regular servings

4 large bell peppers
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups brown rice, cooked
1 -15.5 oz black beans, drained
1 -14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 -15.25 oz can kernel corn, drained
1 -6 oz can tomato paste
Mexican style shredded cheese

Wash the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise, removing the seeds. Position a rack in a pan of boiling water so that the rack is just above the water level. Place peppers cut side down in a single layer on the rack. Steaming peppers will give them a much better taste. Cover with a lid and steam for about 6 minutes or until just about soft. Do this in batches if needed.

In a large skillet, cook the meat in a little oil if needed until brown. Drain off grease and add the onion, garlic and spices. Cook until onions are soft. Add rice, the beans, corn, tomatoes with liquid and stir in the tomato paste. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon mixture into the pepper halves and place in an ungreased casserole dish. Choose one so that the peppers fit snugly inside. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove foil. Sprinkle each pepper with a little cheese and bake another 5 or so minutes or until cheese melts. Serve warm.

Note: This would be great with a cheese sauce spooned over the top.

Comments

  1. These sound amazing, but of course the hot sauce and more cayenne is in my future! nicely spiced I am tasting a great fiesta pepper here!!

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  2. These look great and some days I surprise myself too!

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  3. These look wonderful - I adore stuffed peppers. They are just so satisfying along with being simple to prepare.

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  4. I really like stuffed peppers! Pepper gives so beautiful flavour for meat.
    In Poland we stuffed peppers with mince meat and cooked rice. It's delicious! :)

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  5. these look wonderful drick!! wow, super.

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  6. It does sound like a meal by itself. And being able to freeze is even better.

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  7. These look incredible and very healthy!

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  8. Hi Drick, this dish looks delicious. Your post is just right on time. My husband just asked me if I can make some stuffed bell peppers, so I saved this in my recipe box right away. It's just today that I log in to foodbuzz. Thank you for sharing.

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  9. This looks like the Mexican version of a Romanian classic- we stuff them with meat and rice, onions garlic, salt, pepper and some aromatics to add flavor.

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