Mexican Stuffed Peppers are a wonderfully filling and delicious meal, perfect for busy weeknights, but this recipe was actually designed to be enjoyed at a campsite!
If you prefer, these can be cooked in a crockpot to avoid heating up the house during the Summer months, or in the oven. Personally, we prefer them over a campfire or on the grill, year round!
The filling can be made ahead of time and freezes okay, but is better freshly prepared. Rice has a tendency to change texture when it’s frozen. If you do decide to freeze it, thaw it completely before stuffing the peppers and add a tablespoon of water to each pepper AFTER filling them.
Mexican Stuffed Peppers
You’ll Need:
1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 onion, chopped
3 tbs taco seasoning mix
1-1/4 cups water, divided
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 cup instant white rice, uncooked (it’s okay, you’re camping, remember?!)
1/2 cup drained and rinsed blacks beans or pinto beans (whatever you have on hand)
2 large red peppers
1/4 cup thick and chunky salsa
3/4 cup shredded cheddar, divided
Brown meat with onions in a skillet on medium heat. Stir in beans, taco seasoning mix, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 5 min, stirring occasionally. Remove half the meat mixture. Cool, pour into a container and place in cooler to make tacos the next night.
Stir 1/2 cup of the remaining water into remaining seasoned meat in skillet. Add tomatoes. Mix well. Bring to boil. Stir in rice. Cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 min. Meanwhile, cut tops off peppers. Discard tops and seeds. Mix salsa and remaining water in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Stand peppers up in the Dutch oven.
Add 1/2 cup cheese to meat mixture. Stir. Spoon into peppers. Top with remaining cheese. Cover. Nestle Dutch oven in the fire.
Bake 35 to 40 min. or until peppers are tender. Ladle sauce from Dutch oven over peppers before serving. Serves two, just double or triple the recipe to increase the serving sizes.
Other Alternatives:
Instead of rice, substitute couscous!
​© Can Stock Photo Inc. / Timolina
