Guest Blog: Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Thank you so much to my dear friend, Lauren for a great guest blog today!! Sounds delicious and can't wait to try it!
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As someone who lives alone, I do a LOT of cooking for one. And while it’s sometimes fun to put together a big, complicated meal, most days I’m lucky just to avoid the drive-thru on my way home from work.

Which is why I love recipes like the following for Mexican Stuffed Peppers. These peppers are easy to make, super tasty and have enough “everyday” ingredients to whip up at the last minute. Plus, the recipe makes more than enough for a single meal… in other words, the next day’s dinner is already taken care of!

Mexican Rice and Bean Stuffed Peppers (serves two)

Approximately 1 Tbl oil (I use vegetable oil)

½ an onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 bell peppers, any color (I like red or yellow – the colors just pop!)

Pinch of ground cumin and oregano

1 cup cooked rice

One-half of a can of kidney beans, drained

1 cup (4 oz.) grated Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese

One small can of diced green chilies

Salsa, any kind (I used Frontera brand double-roasted tomato salsa)
In a skillet, heat oil and sauté onion and garlic until soft and onions are slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Slide stem ends from peppers and remove seeds. Chop tops and add to skillet and sauté another 3-5 minutes.

Stir in cumin, oregano, rice, beans and chilies.

Let cool for about five minutes while preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Stuff peppers with rice mixture.

Place side by side in a shallow casserole dish. Top liberally with salsa and bake for 35-40 minutes.

NOTE: This recipe always makes PLENTY of stuffing, so just put the remainder in a Pyrex dish, top it with salsa and cook it along side the peppers. You can also parboil the peppers for five minutes prior to stuffing, which makes the peppers a little softer, but be sure to drain and cool before stuffing so you don’t burn your fingertips!

VARIATIONS: Kick up the spice factor by adding a dash or two of chili powder (or even a dash of pepper sauce, like Tobasco) with the rest of the spices. You can also make this a meat-lovers recipe by adding chorizo sausage (one link, casing removed and meat crumbled into the pan) or ground/chicken/turkey with the onion and garlic… just give it a few extra minutes to cook thoroughly and to drain the fat before adding the rest of the ingredients. If you add meat, just remember there will be a lot more stuffing and you may need an extra pepper or two.
Serve with clips and salsa, the rest of the kidney beans and chilies (heated through in the microwave and topped with a spritz of lime juice).