Southwestern Pepper Cups

Filling colorful bell peppers with fresh produce from your fridge or what’s in your pantry creates a great budget-friendly meal. Want some other ideas for similar meals?  Try this Stuffed Summer Squash recipe or these Southwest Baked Potatoes. 

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients
4 large bell peppers
½ cup onion, chopped, about ½ of 1 small onion
2 cups cooked brown rice (or 1 package instant brown rice)
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with chiles, no salt added
½ cup whole kernel corn, frozen, fresh or canned, no salt or fat added
1 can (15 oz) black beans, no salt added
⅓ cup cheese, shredded

Optional Herbs and Spices: ½ tsp salt and black pepper, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 Tbsp Fajita Seasoning
Optional Toppings: chopped cilantro, salsa, avocado, plain greek yogurt

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Wash peppers and cut a wide circle around the stems.  Grab stem and twist to remove the inside and seeds.  Shake the pepper over the sink to get rid of the leftover seeds. 
  3. Optional: sauté chopped onion in a pan with 1 Tbsp vegetable oil until translucent.  
  4. Combine onion, cooked rice, black beans, corn, and tomatoes in a bowl.  Add salt and pepper and optional spices and herbs.  Add ½ of the shredded cheese.  Mix. 
  5. Fill the peppers with the mixture and top each pepper with the leftover shredded cheese. 
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and peppers are slightly softened. 
  7. ​Top with optional toppings, if desired. 

* Nutrition information includes Mexican blend shredded cheese in analysis.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 pepper

Calories: 300
Total Fat: 4g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Protein: 13g
Sodium: 460mg
Carbohydrates: 53g
Added Sugar: 0g
Fiber: 13g