Stuffed Peppers

With a flavorful tomato sauce and savory beef-rice filling, this stuffed peppers recipe will appeal to the whole family. Look for peppers that are the same size for uniformity, which will make filling them easier. Chopping the tops of the peppers and using them in the stuffing mixture minimizes food waste. You can use ground turkey or chicken for a lower fat dish. Bell peppers are a wonderful source of disease-fighting antioxidants and immune boosting vitaminC.

Makes: 6 servings
Time to cook: 60 minutes

Ingredients

· 6 medium multicolored bell peppers

· 2 tablespoons salt-free garlic-and-herb seasoning

· ½ teaspoon salt

· ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

· 1 pound 90%-lean ground beef or ground turkey

· 1 cup finely chopped white onion

· ½ cup finely chopped carrot

· ½ cup finely chopped celery

· 1 (8 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

· 2 tablespoons hot sauce

· 1 (8.8 ounce) pouch package microwaveable brown rice

· 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed

· 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

· ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided 

Cooking Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 375℉. Lightly coat an 11-by-7-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cut tops from peppers; remove and discard ribs and seeds. Coarsely chop pepper tops, discarding stems; set aside chopped peppers (about 1½ cups). Place whole peppers, cut-sides down, in the prepared dish; bake until slightly tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Do not turnoff the oven.

2. Meanwhile, stir garlic-and-herb seasoning, salt and smoked paprika together in a small bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and half of the seasoning mixture; cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to crumble, until the meat is browned and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer the meat to a medium bowl. Without wiping the pan clean, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the drippings. Stir in onion, carrot, celery, the remaining seasoning mixture and the reserved chopped peppers; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the vegetables to the bowl with the meat. Without wiping the pan clean, add tomato sauce and hot sauce to the drippings. Stir to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then remove from heat.

3. Prepare rice according to package directions; add to the meat and vegetable mixture. Add beans, 1 cup cheese, 1/4 cup parsley and half of the tomato sauce mixture; stir gently to combine.

4. To assemble stuffed peppers, flip the peppers cut-sides up in the baking dish; divide the beef mixture evenly among the peppers, mounding and pressing lightly to fill them. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce mixture over the peppers; top with the remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake until the pepper sare tender, the filling is hot and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parsley.

Nutrition per serving
491 calories; 26 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 32 grams protein; 7 grams fiber; 7 grams sugar; 670 milligrams sodium 

Original Recipe by Karen Rankin, Eatingwell.com  

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