(Yields approximately 5 peppers; 345 calories, 9.7g fat, 51g carbohydrates, 16.9g protein per serving)
Ingredients
- 5-6 Orange bell peppers
- 2 cup rice, cooked
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, no salt added, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup Mexican cheese, shredded
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Prepare 2 cups of cooked rice according to package directions.
- While rice is cooking, rinse peppers and remove any stickers. Cut off tops of peppers with the stem.* Remove seeds and core from pepper and discard.
- Using a small, sharp knife, cut a Jack-o-Lantern face into one side of each pepper. Keep the eyes and mouth somewhat small so filling does not spill out of them. It should be fairly easy to cut into the peppers, but stay mindful so you do not cut yourself!
- Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and place peppers on sheet. Set aside.
- Preheat skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook onions and garlic over medium-low heat until softened, about 5-10 minutes.
- In large mixing bowl, combine cooked rice, black beans, corn, onion, garlic, spices, and cheese. Spoon mix into open peppers until filled to the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes
*The tops of the peppers with the stems can be discarded, or can be set aside and used for presentation. If you would like to keep the stems to “decorate” the finished peppers, put them in the oven during the last 15 minutes of baking so they can get the same softened, baked look as the peppers. Adding the tops back on make these peppers look even more like Jack-o-lanterns!
Possible substitutions and additions:
- Sub 1 lb of cooked ground beef, turkey, or chicken for the beans.
- Add in diced peppers, diced tomatoes, or other veggies of your choosing! Make sure you sauté vegetables for a bit before adding to the stuffing mixture so they will be softer.
- Use white rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or omit if you prefer.
- Top peppers with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, more cheese…whatever you wish!