Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

One of our favorite dinners around here is stuffed peppers, a recipe passed down from my grandmother, tweaked a litte by my mom, and then tweaked a little further by me.  I saw this recipe for southwestern stuffed peppers in a Real Simple magazine and knew I had to try them.  We loved this southwestern version!  Bonus:  you can make and assemble the peppers up to 12 hours in advance, cover them and stick them in the fridge, and just add 5-10 minutes of baking time.  Hello easy weeknight dinner!

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 Tbsp olive oil

6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

1 lb ground beef chuck

1 cup corn kernels

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies

1 tsp ground cumin

4 oz Monterey Jack, grated (1 cup)

salt and black pepper

6 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed

sour cream and salsa for serving

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook the rice according to the package directions.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the scallion whites and beef and cook, breaking the beef up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes.  Stir in the corn, chilies, cumin, cooked rice, 1/2 cup of the Monterey Jack, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Arrange the bell peppers, cut-side up, in a 9x13-inch baking dish or pan (may need to use an additional pan if peppers don't fit).  Divide the beef mixture among the bell peppers, add 1/2 cup water to the dish, tightly cover the dish with foil, and bake until the bell peppers are soft, 30-40 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of Monterey Jack, and bake until browned, 5-7 minutes more.  

Top with salsa, sour cream, and scallion greens if desired.

source:  recipe from Real Simple, February 2012