Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers

Name: Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers
Yield: 6 peppers
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean); 1 medium onion (diced (about 1 1/2 cups)); 2 ribs celery (diced (about 3/4 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 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice; 1/4 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

November 2, 2015

Classic Southwestern flavors, corn, rice, and lean ground beef make this rainbow 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.

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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!

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If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.