Pepper season is just about over, so I was glad they were still available at the farmer’s market this week. I’m gonna be totally honest with you, I have never had a stuffed pepper. Well, except for the ones I have made, but no one had ever made one for me before. I just kinda decided to make them on a whim one day. Turns out they’re super quick, easy, and nutritious to whip up! And my favorite part is eating the leftover mixture for breakfast the next day because how else will I get my veggies in at breakfast?

My favorite pepper is a green pepper, but you can absolutely switch these out for your favorite color pepper! These stuffed peppers are lightly seasoned with salt and (black) pepper in order to let the flavor of the bell pepper take the center stage. Using multicolored cherry tomatoes gives a nice range of color to the meal too. Although, you can’t really see it here because I ended up eating most of my tomatoes before making these. 🙂

Stuffed Peppers

Serves 4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients:

• 4 bell peppers
• 1/2 onion
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cups cooked rice (I used brown)
• 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cheese for topping

Directions:

1. Prep veggies: Cut tops off of peppers and scrape membranes and seeds out. Dice remaining pepper surrounding stem and onion. Cut cherry tomatoes in quarters (or use a can of diced tomatoes). Cook rice if needed.
2. In a large skillet (preferably one with straight sides), cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until crumbled and fully browned. Season with salt and pepper. Empty ground beef onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any moisture. Do not empty liquid and fat out of skillet.
3. In a separate pot, put hollowed peppers and fill with water. Add a good pinch or two of salt and bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes and take out of water. (This seasons and cooks the peppers just enough to easily cut through them. Also, if you add water inside the peppers, it helps weigh them down so they don’t float to the top).
4. Preheat oven to 325º. Add diced peppers and onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent, then add tomatoes.
5. Add ground beef and cooked rice to mixed veggie mixture and season with salt and pepper, if needed. 
6. Place par-boiled peppers into an oven-safe dish (such as a pie plate or oversized muffin tins). Fill peppers with veggie/rice mixture and top with cheese.
7. Bake for ~5 minutes, or until cheese is melted
8. Top with freshly cracked black pepper and enjoy!

Fun tip I learned today while serving these to my family, If you flip the pepper upside down on your plate, it is much easier to cut. Otherwise you may have to use a bowl like I did in the pictures. 🙂

Happy Nourishing!