Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers (Our Best Bites)

A great meatless meal!

This recipe was adapted from Our Best Bites

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/01/southwest-stuffed-bell-peppers/

Ingredients: 

4 large peppers (red, yellow, green or orange)
1 Tbs salt
1/2 C white rice (you could use any type of rice. I did not have any jalapenos so I used Mexican rice to give it more flavor)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels or 1 can of corn, drained
2 green onions, sliced
1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
1 1/4 C jack or pepperjack cheese, divided
3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
tortilla chips, just a handful and more for serving if desired.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides.  Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt.   Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.  Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes. (I used instant rice because I was short on time).  Drain.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.  Place peppers in a baking dish.  Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro.  Stir to combine well and give it a taste.  Add additional salt, pepper, and chipotle powder to your liking.  Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.


I had a lot of the bean/rice mixture left over. We are using it for taco's or over tortilla chips.