Stuffed Peppers

Growing up, I never remember my mother making stuffed peppers. I don't remember trying them at a friend's house or with another family member. So it's safe to say I was never exposed to stuffed peppers until I got to college...and I had two not so-great experiences.

My first meeting with stuffed peppers was not pleasant, of course nothing in a college dining hall is really pleasant. They didn't look appealing at all. The pepper was hallowed out and everything stuffed inside. I had no idea what was in there. Fast forward a few years...I'm still in college only I'm not at the campus dining hall and I have no other option for dinner (except to not eat). So I gave them a try...and was not a fan. I don't remember what I didn't like about them...just that I didn't like them.

Now here I am, four years later, making them myself. My taste have changed and I find myself trying more and more new/different foods. (And liking them!) The idea came from a pinterest post and a recipe from one of my cookbooks. I combined two recipes together to make this delicious recipe! I'm very pleased how these peppers turned out AND how low-cal and filling they are. I only ate half a pepper and a full pepper is around 325 calories. I served the peppers with chips and salsa....some refried beans would be good too! Even though my first encounter with stuffed peppers turned my nose, I now enjoy them!

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers (I used green, but you can use whatever kind of sweet bell pepper you prefer.)

1 lb. ground turkey (or beef)

1/2 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, divided 

3/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 c. cooked rice (I used brown rice.)

1 c. frozen corn

1 small tomato, diced

1/3 c. fat-free sour cream

3/4 c. Mexican shredded cheese

1 c. warm water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove all the seeds. Set aside for later use. 

In a skillet, brown the ground turkey (or beef). Drain any fat when meat is cooked. Add onion, garlic, 3/4 tsp. cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper to the meat and saute until onions become soft and clear.

Add the rice, corn, tomato, sour cream, and shredded cheese to the meat mix. Mix ingredients well and stuff into peppers. In a separate container, mix the warm water and remaining 3/4 tsp. cumin together. Pour this into a casserole dish large enough to fit all peppers inside. Place the stuffed peppers in the dish and cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.