Spicy Stuffed Peppers
Classic stuffed peppers with a Mexican flair. Created when a famous frozen food company stopped making my favorite Mexican lasagna. Oh, well - this dish is healthier and fresher anyway!
Serves 8 - makes GREAT leftovers too
Ingredients
8 medium to large bell peppers - any color you choose, fun to mix and match
32 oz box of chicken broth or stock
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup corn (carved from 2 cobs if available for freshest taste, but any form will work)
1/2 cup low sodium canned black beans
1 small chopped jalapeno
Olive oil
1 jar Red Cactus salsa - heat level is up to you, I just really like the taste of this brand. Other types or homemade would also work.
Seasonings - cilantro paste, minced garlic, liquid smoke, black pepper, dried oregano, Sriracha
1/2 lb sausage
1 cup Boca "meat" crumbles (other brands would work as well)
1 to 1.5 cups cooked rice or cauliflower rice
1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella to mix into filling
Mozzarella and cheddar shredded cheese for final topping
Instructions
Brown sausage in a skillet, add Boca crumbles, heat through and set aside in a bowl. Keep the pan for a later step.
Chop onion, cut corn off cobs, chop jalapeno, gather all in a bowl & set aside.
Drain beans, add to mixture.
Boil water in a deep stock pan, along with the chicken broth - deep enough to cover an upright pepper.
Cut bell pepper tops off, core out centers with a spoon, trim bottom lobes if needed so they can sit stable. Chop some of the trim pepper material fine and add it to the veggie mix waiting in the bowl.
Cook half of the peppers at a time (4), in the big pot - once the water is boiling, for 2 minutes. Remove from water, drain, and set into a large baking dish or pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining 4 peppers.
Pre-heat oven to 400 F
Sautee / char the veg mix in olive oil (1-2 Tbsp) in the sausage pan from earlier, with the spices in this way:
Heat oil on medium high, add minced garlic (2 tsp), add veg, add cilantro paste (tsp), ground black pepper to your taste, fry for a couple of minutes, sprinkle a dash of liquid smoke flavor, toss, take mixture off heat.
Next pulse the sausage mixture briefly in a food processor to acheive smaller crumbles (this is optional but helpful)
Add the meat mixture to the veg mixture, fold in the salsa then the shredded mozzarella.
Spoon filling mix into peppers
Top each pepper with more mozzarella, some sharp cheddar and a few drops of Sriracha (optional heat level up to you)
Cover with foil, bake 20 min at 400 F
Remove foil, increase heat to 425 - 10 more minutes to brown tops
Let peppers sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Sour cream could be added as you serve, if you like. Enjoy!
Filed as
Dinner
