Classic Southwestern flavors, corn, rice, and lean ground beef make these rainbows of bell peppers a favorite, healthy dinner your whole family will enjoy.
This post and it’s rainbow of healthy flavors is sponsored by AMCO Select One Produce.
Last week I saw a lot of change and said goodbye to few favorites.
October is done. Bye bye! Daylight savings? You’ve ticked your last tock. And probably the worst of the worst signs that summer has officially had the nail driven into its sunshine-filled coffin: My husband cleared out all of the plants from the garden to make way for old man winter.
Goodbye garden tomatoes. So long to my spindly pepper plants. You were a food bounty all summer long and you’ll be missed.
Or will you?
These days, none of us have to feel fresh-from-the-garden-challenged now that we’re moving into the colder months because garden fresh veggies are readily available in grocery aisles 365 days a year. Well, there may be a day off for Christmas and an early closing hour for Thanksgiving, but I think you get my gist.
AMCO Select One Produce asked me to come up with a recipe that showcases their greenhouse-grown produce and I went straight for their rainbow of peppers.
Farmed in technologically advanced greenhouses, AMCO Select’s peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers benefit from fancy computerized drip systems and state of the art cooling facilities. And yet, these veggies are still humbly pollinated by bumblebees. The process makes it so none of us have to go without fresh garden-tasting flavors through the chillier days and nights of fall turning into winter.
Their fresh rainbow bells are the perfect vessels to share these Southwestern inspired flavors.
About the Recipe
Did you know every orange, yellow and red bell pepper has 3 times the amount of vitamin C as an orange? It’s just one of the reasons these baked stuffed peppers are a favorite of mine. The other reason I favor rainbow peppers are their sweet flavor. And who can’t be attracted to how pretty they look?
For our stuffed peppers we always par-bake them in the microwave first. A simple sprinkle of kosher salt to the interior of the peppers and then a 5 minute blast in the microwave pre-cooks these peppers and cuts your baking time in half.
Fresh tomato plus tomato paste gives the stuffing an added sweetness while black beans, yellow corn and roasted green chiles complete the rainbow of Southwestern flavors. Cumin, chile and fresh cilantro bump it up even more.
I used white rice in this version but feel free to add another grain of choice. Brown rice, farro or even quinoa would boost your protein quotient even more.
There’s not too much cheese on these babies so choose a quality one that will give the most flavor. I liked to keep the spicy flavors building so I topped mine with a chipotle flavored gouda. Pepper jack or another spicy version would fit the bill too.
Another idea for serving these peppers is to pop them into individual baking dishes like these mini cocottes. It makes a fun dinner party presentation that’s a little more unique than the typical plate.
They fit snug as a rug!
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Like These:
- Cheesy Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Turkey Stuffed Peppers
- Low Carb Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Spiralized Zucchini, Quinoa and Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef , 90% lean
- 1 medium onion , diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 ribs celery , diced (about ¾ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 large Select One tomato , chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 15- ounce can black beans
- 1 7- ounce can roasted green chiles
- 1 cup frozen corn , defrosted
- 1 ½ cups cooked long grain rice
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves , chopped plus more for garnish
- 6 Select One rainbow bell peppers
- 1 cup spicy cheese such as Chipotle Gouda or Pepper Jack
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brown the ground beef in a large fry pan over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until cooked almost through. Add the chopped onion, celery, and garlic and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the diced tomato, tomato paste, cumin, chile powder and kosher salt and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Stir in the black beans, green chiles, corn, cooked rice and chopped cilantro.
- Meanwhile, cut off the tops of the peppers and spoon out the ribs and seeds, then rinse. Lightly sprinkle the inside of the peppers with kosher salt and place in a microwave safe dish with ¼ cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes or until they start to soften.
- Transfer to a 3 quart baking dish and fill the peppers with the hot meat and rice mixture. Sprinkle the tops with cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is browned. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Food for Thought
I’d love to feature your favorite flavors to stuff your peppers. Please, share your ideas!
This post is sponsored by AMCO Select One Produce. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
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L
Yes, this makes more filling than fits in my large peppers. I’ve made it before, so I was prepared with a container for the extra and will make a second batch to use i as my peppers ripen! Very tasty. I play a little loose with proportions too. A can of corn, 2-3 cups of rice, two big tomatoes (this is a good use-up-the late season produce recipe), maybe 1/3c tomato paste and a “glug” of my salsa. The author correctly points out that it is flexible. Thanks!
Great plan L, thanks for the suggestion and 5 star rating!
Courtney Opdyke
new family favorite! The filling is delicious on its own too! I substituted ground turkey for beef and it was a hit!
Happy to hear everyone enjoyed!
Mr T
Love the recipe. I made this for dinner the other night and my wife was amazed at the flavors flowing through the pepper. I did not have the celeŕy on hand so that was the only mod made to your wonderful recipe.
thanks Mr T
Hayley
Thanks for sharing–we’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Sue
Looks good, I’m trying tonight. They look a little dry though….I’m thinking of topping with some sort of sauce….maybe enchilada?
That sounds like a great idea. And more cheese.
Deb D
Seriously! Best stuffed peppers ever!!
Jasmine
Absolutely amazing! Substituted the ground beef with shredded chicken and cooked the onions and celery in about a table spoon of oil. I also used canned diced tomato.
So glad you enjoyed it Jasmine. Stuffed peppers are a great meal to substitute some ingredients for others you like better or have on hand. Thanks for the 5-star rating!
Lizzy
Hi Heidi! This may be a silly question, but does it matter if I use canned corn or fresh corn? Thanks!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Which ever you have and prefer!
Cathy Hoover
Making these tonight. Inside a few tweaks. I added a can of green chili sauce, some ketchup instead of tomato paste, a little extra garlic, and can diced tomatoes. I’m eating it out of the pit before I can get it in the peppers! Yummy! Oh and I also added a little garlic cilantro salsa! Bless! Can’t wait to get them in the oven. Will definitely be making these again!
Robert Smith
I appreciate your writing skill. Please keep on working hard
Karen
I made these lovely peppers and they are delicious. Southwestern food is not
one of my favorites, but, I love these, because of the black beans, rice and corn, and the flavors are amazing.
Deedee
It was great! I had a lot of leftover filling so we had it on the side. I would only make 1/2 cup of rice next time. It was a bit too much. Tasted terrific!