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+ servings
Stuffed peppers in a casserole dish.
4.75 from 8 votes

Stuffed Peppers

Easy stuffed peppers are filled with ground beef, corn, rice and beans, seasoned with tomato sauce and classic spices, and then topped with cheese. A great weeknight meal!
Prep 45 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Total 1 hour 10 minutes
Fat 23
Carbs 39
Protein 23
Yield 6

Ingredients

  • 6 large bell peppers any color, top removed and hallowed out
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil separated (avocado or olive oil)
  • 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
  • 1- lb. ground beef
  • 1.25 teaspoons salt separated
  • 1 cup corn we used fresh, but frozen will work
  • ¼ medium white onion
  • 1 15 oz. can pinto beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 15- oz. can tomato sauce
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ cup of shredded monterey jack cheese or a Mexican blend

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place the bell peppers into a 9x9-inch baking dish or any suitable baking dish where the bell peppers will stay standing straight up. Drizzle the peppers with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season the peppers with ¼ teaspoon of salt.
    Sliced red and yellow peppers in a white baking dish.
  • Place the peppers into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes* until they begin to soften but not turn mushy. Remove them from the oven and set aside.
  • Next, rinse rice with cold water and then add it to a small saucepan. Add 1 cup of water to the rice and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to low and cover. Allow the rice to cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is done. We suggest undercooking the rice just a little bit for this recipe. Set the rice aside.
  • Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium/high heat and add beef to the skillet. Break the beef up into small pieces and season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook the beef until it is almost fully cooked but still has some pink pieces (about 4-5 minutes). Remove the beef from the skillet with a slotted spoon and leave drippings in the skillet. Set beef aside.
  • Add the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil to the skillet and then add the onion to the skillet. Saute for 1 minute and then add the corn. Sauté the corn for 5-7 minutes until it browns and carmelizes. Add the beans to the corn and toss. Cook for 1 additional minute.
    A skillet filled with beans and corn.
  • Next, add the tomato sauce, paprika, black pepper, oregano, and cumin to the corn. Mix the ingredients together and then add the ground beef and rice to the skillet. Mix again until all the ingredients are combined.
    A skillet filled with ground beef, beans and tomatoes.
  • Scoop about ½ - ¾ cup of the mixture into each hollowed out bell peppers. Top each pepper with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
  • Place the bell peppers back into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and begins to brown.
    Mexican stuffed peppers in a baking dish.
  • Remove the peppers from the oven and garnish with fresh herbs.
    Mexican stuffed peppers on a white plate.

Tips & Notes

  • *We like our peppers still crunchy, but if you’re hoping for them to be more cooked, bake them for 20 minutes at the beginning.
  • We used ground beef, but you can use any ground meat that you would like.
  • Feel free to use any cheese blend that you would like.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 8g