Friday, October 4, 2013

Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers



I made this recipe for "Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers" for the first time a little over a year ago.  (I also took this lovely picture way back when as well.  Talk about procrastination!)  It wasn't until a friend just asked me for the recipe that I decided that I should go ahead and add it to my online recipe box.  You know, since I did just type the whole thing out and all.  :)  I plan to make these for dinner really soon, they are really really yummy and the husband enjoyed them a lot. 

INGREDIENTS:
 
olive oil
1/2 lb ground turkey (you can probably use lean ground turkey as well)
1 C chopped onions
1 heaping TBSP of taco seasoning (I used the homemade version)
2 C of cooked rice (I used some Spanish rice I had leftover)
3-4 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 C of frozen corn
1 (15 -16 ounce) jar of salsa (or homemade if you have it!)
shredded Cheddar Cheese
 
Toppings:
fresh cilantro
sour cream
sliced avocado
 
DIRECTIONS:
 
 Start the rice.
Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the prepped peppers with the olive oil and roast them in a baking dish for 20-25 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool long enough so they can be handled.
Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey with the chopped onion and any seasonings of your choice. (I usually like to use a little salt, pepper, and garlic...fresh or powdered.) Drain any excess fat if necessary.
 
When the meat is finished, add in the taco seasoning.  Mix well to combine.  Next, add in the black beans, corn, rice and the salsa.  Mix well.
 
Now, spoon in the turkey mixture into each of the bell pepper halves.  Carefully place them back into the baking dish.  Cook the peppers for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked thru.  Just before removing the dish, sprinkle the top of each pepper with some shredded cheddar cheese.  Place the dish back into the oven long enough for the cheese to melt. 
 
Remove from the oven and top with an additional desired toppings (ex. cilantro, sour cream, avocado...)
 
ENJOY!
 
 
recipe adapted from: simplylovefood.blog.com