Beefy Veggie Stuffed Peppers (2 in 1 recipe)

This recipe is a creation inspired by leftover quesadilla filling. My Beefy Veggie Quesadillas make quite a large volume of filling. There’s no better way to use “fillings” than to fill a pepper and top it with cheese!

I like to make these while I make the actual quesadillas, but there’s no rule that says you can’t refrigerate the quesadilla filling and prepare these peppers another day.

Please refer to the Beefy Veggie Quesadilla recipe for instructions on how to make the filling. Also refer to the notes section of this recipe for how to “stretch” the recipe by adding cooked rice, quinoa and/or canned tomatoes.

These pepper’s don’t exactly scream family friendly. I like to serve them with rice or multigrain chips on the side (as a “familiar food”) and then serve veggies that are components of the actual stuffed pepper like shredded carrots and peppers slices. I also serve Greek yogurt or sour cream, avocado, fruit, and LITERALLY 1/2 teaspoon of the actual filling - because hey… they might try it and like it!

See the notes section of the recipe if you want to make these peppers, but not the quesadillas - there are other options for how to use the remaining filling.

Cheers!

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Beefy Veggie Stuffed Peppers (2 in 1 recipe)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min

Ingredients

• About 1/2 the beef and veggie mixture from the Beefy Veggie Quesadilla recipe. 
• 4 bell peppers
• 1.5 cups shredded Mexican cheese 
• hot sauce (optional - we like Franks)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the tops from each of the peppers by slicing through the top of the pepper with a knife.  Take out the seeds and ribs. 
3. Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray. (This could be an 8-inch round pan, a pie plate, anything that the peppers will fit in and not tip over.)
4. Fill each pepper about half full with the beef, bean, and veggie mixture.  Give a few shakes of hot sauce over the top of the beef mixture and cover with 2-3 Tablespoons of cheese.  
5. Fill the remaining half of the peppers with the beef mixture, give a few more shakes of hot sauce (optional) and top with 2-3 more Tablespoons of cheese. 
6. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the peppers. (This is so the cheese doesn't stick to the aluminum foil while baking.) Bake for 45 minutes.  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

Notes:

1. If you make the filling from Beefy Veggie Quesadillas and don't actually want to make the quesadillas, the remaining beef mixture is delicious over salads, as a nacho topping, poured over a sweet potato, or as a component to a grain bowl (simply combine a veggie, a grain, and the beef mixture).
2. If, for some reason, you find this isn't enough filling for your peppers (or you want to make a few more peppers - six instead of four) you could try adding cooked quinoa or rice and/or a can of drained diced tomatoes to "stretch" the recipe. I've haven't tried this yet, but I don't see why it wouldn't work!