Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are one of the best meals in my opinion. They allow you to have a hardy meal without noodles or bread, they can be stuffed with nearly anything, and they make a minimal mess in the kitchen. When I first made stuffed peppers for my husband he was sure they wouldn't fill him up, but after one pepper he was pleasantly plump! Another bonus with any stuffed pepper recipe is the ability to sneak in extra veggies. I added a large carrot to this mix and in the past I've added a few handfuls of kale. Any recipe that allows me to cram in as many veggies as I can is a winner. Stuffed peppers are great for meal prep because you can make 5 or 6 at a time and they're delicious leftover (I would even dare say they're better leftover)!

This version is Mexican style and can very easily be made vegan by leaving out the chicken, adding extra beans and changing the toppings. I use organic lean ground chicken and canned cuban style black beans, but you can switch it up and use turkey, pork or even beef and whatever kind of beans you like! I usually make 4 peppers, but I always have leftover filling. I could easily make an extra pepper or two, but I like to keep some of the filling and use it for breakfast tacos. Some filling, scrabbled eggs, avocado, a little salsa and cilantro wrapped up in a corn tortilla= one heck of a breakfast! This is a three meals in one situation that really rocks my world!

Ingredients

(Makes 4-6 peppers depending on size or if you save filling for breakfast)

1 lb organic ground chicken (optional if vegan)

4-6 green peppers

Note- if you're only making 4, use large peppers. If you make 6, use medium peppers.

1 yellow onion

1-2 jalapeños

1 large carrot

1/2 cup cooked or instant white rice

3 cloves of garlic

1 can cuban style or plain black beans (If making vegan use two cans)

1 can organic tomato sauce

1 TBSP chili powder

1/2 TBSP cumin

Pink sea salt to taste

1/2 TBSP garlic powder

Dash of cayenne pepper

Black pepper to taste

Olive oil

Cilantro

Sour cream

Sharp cheddar cheese (local organic if possible)

Lime

Directions

Preheat oven to 400

1. Remove tops from the peppers and save to add to filling. Remove seeds from inside of peppers and discard.

2. Chop onion, green pepper tops, jalapeño, and garlic. Cook on medium high heat in a large pan with olive oil, stirring occasionally.

3. Push veg to outer edges then add a little more olive oil, and ground chicken to the center of the pan. While chicken is cooking stir it occasionally to brown evenly. When chicken is slightly browned, stir together with veggies and season with spices.

4. Add tomato sauce and beans, cover/reduce heat to medium low, and let simmer for about 5 minutes. When chicken is cooked through taste filling and add more spices if needed.

5. When you're happy with the spice level of the filling stir in 1/4-1/2 cup of fresh cilantro.

6. Fill peppers almost to the top, place in a snug baking dish, and put about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of baking dish.

7. Bake covered for about 20 mins. Remove and add freshly grated cheese to the top of the peppers, and return to the oven uncovered. Bake for about 10 more minutes.

8. Serve warm topped with a little more cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, and fresh lime juice.

Note- if you save out extra filling add a little water to your pan, cover, and simmer for about 15 more minutes to allow the rice to cook.

#stuffedpeppers #Mexican #mexicanfood #healthy #mealprep #healthymealprep #deliciousmealprep #deliciousrecipes #recipe #easyrecipe #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipe #vegan #veganrecipe #flavorfulrecipes #familydinner #leftovers #easymealprep #mexicanstuffedpeppers #chicken #groundchickenrcipes #groundchickenrecipes #easycleanup