Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Sweet bell peppers are tasty little vessels for this Southwest-style stuffing, chock- full of fiber-rich corn, black beans and cilantro. Plus, there’s no need to parboil the peppers to give them tenderness, since they’ll be slowly simmered all day in a smoky tomato sauce.
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Ingredients
- 1 26-oz carton chopped unsalted tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion, divided
- 2 whole plus 3 minced cloves garlic, divided
- 1 tbsp chile powder, divided
- 1 tbsp ground cumin, divided
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 cup whole plus ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, divided
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 small jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 15-oz BPA-free can or 12/3 cups cooked black beans
- 3/4 cup grated Mexican-blend cheese, divided
- 6 red, green or yellow bell peppers, tops and seeds removed and discarded
Preparation
- In a blender, process tomatoes, 1/2 cup onion, 2 whole cloves garlic, 2 tsp chile powder, 1 tsp cumin, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 cup whole cilantro until smooth. Pour 1/2 cup mixture into a 5- to 6-qt slow cooker and set remaining mixture aside.
- In a large bowl, add beef, remaining 1 tsp chile powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, black pepper and zucchini. With your hands, mix thoroughly until well combined. Add minced garlic, remaining 1 cup onion, jalapeño, corn, chopped cilantro, beans and 1/2 cup cheese; mix until well combined.
- Pack beef mixture tightly into peppers, dividing evenly. Arrange peppers, cut side up, in slow cooker. Pour remaining tomato mixture over top. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese on peppers and cook for 10 more minutes, until cheese melts. Serve peppers with sauce, dividing evenly.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 stuffed pepper and 1/3 cup tomato sauce
- Calories 290
- Carbohydrate Content 32 g
- Cholesterol Content 50 mg
- Fat Content 7 g
- Fiber Content 11 g
- Protein Content 27 g
- Saturated Fat Content 3 g
- Sodium Content 350 mg
- Sugar Content 12 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 1 g