Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

I recently started to have Meatless Mondays in our house. I love meat, I dont think I could and would ever go Vegetarian, I tried it once and I lasted like 4 days. But it is a good way to save on grocery bills, find a new challenge in my kitchen, and experiment with some ingredients I otherwise wouldnt notice.

This was my 1st weeks attempt.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

borrowed and slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

***6 WW Points Plus***

4 very large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)

1 Tbs salt

1/2 C white rice (or brown if you want to take the time to cook it), quinoa also works (I used leftovers from the night before and that made it much faster)

1 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)

1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 green onions, sliced

1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted

1 1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar or mexi blend cheese, divided

3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

6 tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Place peppers in a baking dish. Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro. Stir to combine well and give it a taste. Add additional salt, pepper, and chipotle powder to your liking. Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there :) and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

VERDICT: LOVED LOVED LOVED, this recipe. It was SO filling, easy to make and I didnt miss the meat at all. I couldnt believe how full I got from it. It was also really delicious as leftovers the next day. I cant wait to make this one again