Taco Stuffed Peppers are a fun nosh and a game night win whether you play host for your pod or gather (safely) with friends. The big game is often an occasion to indulge in foods high in processed carbs, unhealthy fats, and empty calories.
You can optimize the menu for enjoyment and health and sidestep these nutrition pitfalls with my recipe for Taco Stuffed Peppers.
The bell peppers are sliced into quarters that act like a taco shell to hold the cheesy, spicy filling. You don’t have to use a knife and fork. Just pick up the pepper and munch away.
Southwestern Taco Stuffed Peppers!
Colorful bell pepper taco shells filled with chile-spiked stuffing of ground turkey, brown rice, black beans, and corn. Covered with melted cheese, they are meant to be eaten out of hand just like tacos (or pizza). A tempting – and nutritious, addition to your game night buffet!
Equipment
- high-sided skillet
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers red, yellow, orange, or green
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 Tablespoon garlic chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey do not use ground turkey breast
- 2 Tablespoons green chile finely chopped, add more or less according to personal preference
- 2 teaspoons chile powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon chipotle or New Mexican chile powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper finely ground
- 2 cups brown rice cooked
- 1 can black beans 13 to 15 oz, rinsed
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 oz, no salt
- ½ cup corn frozen or canned
- 1½ cups Mexican blend cheese grated
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly, and gather all equipment and ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Cut bell peppers into quarters, removing the stems, seeds, and white membranes. Line the pepper quarters up on two baking sheet covered with foil, and set them aside.
- Place a large, non-stick skillet with high sides over medium heat and pour in the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the ground turkey to the onion-garlic mixture and saute until the turkey is no longer pink. As you cook the turkey break it into small pieces with the spatula.
- Place the spatula or spoon used to cook the turkey in the sink to clean later. Using a fresh utensil, add the green chile and spices to the skillet and stir. Add the remaining ingredients, up to the cheese. Make sure all ingredients are evenly coated with spices and thoroughly mixed together. Cook on low for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.Note: Filling can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated for a day before you're planning to serve the peppers.
- Add half of the cheese (¾ cup) to the turkey-rice mixture in the skillet and stir thoroughly. Cheese should be entirely melted.
- Taste the turkey-rice stuffing and adjust salt and other spices, if necessary. Using a medium serving spoon or ice cream scoop, ladle stuffing into each pepper quarter. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and place in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cheese should be melted and slightly browned.
- Serve on small plates with chips, salsa, guacamole, and fruit.
Notes
🌶 These stuffed pepper boats are rich in iron and vitamin C, which helps you absorb the iron. They are loaded with healthy nutrients like fiber, protein, and calcium.
However, the sodium level is high. Rinsing the beans will help, as will using no-salt tomato sauce.
If you want to simplify the recipe, sub a packet of taco seasoning for all the spices (including the salt and pepper). Although this comes together pretty easily, using taco seasoning will shorten the ingredient list! 📃
Taco Stuffed Peppers can also be served as an appetizer as part of a game night buffet.
Nutrition
Serving: 2pepper boatsCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 14gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 387mgPotassium: 402mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2095IUVitamin C: 79mgCalcium: 132mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Lean Chili with Beans
Healthy and delicious chili full of fiber, healthy carbs, and iron
Equipment
- large pot
- Can opener
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90/10 lean to fat percent
- 1 can kidney beans See note below
- 1 Tablespoon molasses use light molasses; can sub dark brown sugar or honey
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt kosher
- ½ teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
- pinch ground cloves
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until it begins to lose its color, about 5 minutes.
- Add ground beef to the pot and cook until no longer pink, breaking the meat into small pieces as you brown it. Place the browning utensil in the sink for cleaning. Grab a fresh utensil and continue with the recipe.
- Pour diced tomatoes into the beef-onion mixture and scrape up any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the rinsed kidney beans, molasses, and spices. Stir well to combine all ingredients and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Keep warm until ready to serve or cool and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
- Serve hot, with toppings of cheese, green onions, sour cream, and cornbread.
Notes
The nutritional calculations do not include any toppings. A couple of tablespoons of shredded Colby-Jack cheese will add about 60 calories, 3 grams of saturated fat (5 g fat total), and 90 mg of sodium. It also ups the protein by 4 grams.
Do not use dark or black-strap molasses. If you don’t have or can’t find light molasses, use up to a tablespoon of dark brown sugar or 2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey.
Some type of sweetener is usually necessary to balance the acidity of the tomatoes in this recipe. You could also add a tablespoon of concentrated tomato paste with the spices and 1 teaspoon white sugar. Taste after the chili has simmered for 15 minutes and use 1 to 2 more teaspoons of sugar if the flavor is too sharp.
You can add an extra can of beans to increase the serving size and the fiber.
Some type of sweetener is usually necessary to balance the acidity of the tomatoes in this recipe. You could also add a tablespoon of concentrated tomato paste with the spices and 1 teaspoon white sugar. Taste after the chili has simmered for 15 minutes and use 1 to 2 more teaspoons of sugar if the flavor is too sharp.
You can add an extra can of beans to increase the serving size and the fiber.
Nutrition
Calories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 31gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 696mgPotassium: 905mgFiber: 8gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 626IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
COPYRIGHT © 2021 FOOD HALL BY JANI
Ruth
The chili recipe looks great—and easy!! Thanks for this easy supper!
jani
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do at our house! 😊
Mary.
Thanks for the Super Bowl dinner Recipes. I look forward to trying the stuffed peppers.
jani
Let me know what you think! Hope you enjoy the game. I don’t really have a rooting interest, but I’ll be watching. 🏈