Stuffed bell peppers is my ultimate comfort food and one of those recipes I knew I wanted to share when we canned a bunch of tomatoes a few weeks ago. It’s Mexican fare so that shouldn’t surprise you. But this was one of my favorite dishes growing up.
Wild Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers
At the time, I just thought it was delicious. Little did I realize that my mom so readily made it for us because of how good it was at using up leftovers (namely rice and meat) and was a good place to sneak a lot of veggies in us. And there’s melted cheese on top. End of story.
These stuffed bell peppers with rice are my take on the recipe with a few twists I’ve picked up over the years…
What do you put in a stuffed bell pepper?
Besides being great at using up leftovers (READ: How to Make Perfect Rice/Quinoa in Rice Cooker), this recipe is so flexible. Here I used wild rice, but I often use brown rice (or white rice or quinoa). I like the bite the wild rice added this time around.
This is oftentimes a vegetarian dinner in our house, but below the recipe, I included tips for adding in meat.
And for veggies… My favorites are onions, mushrooms, corn, carrots, and zucchini. I also have used bell peppers because sometimes I just have that many! use whatever veggies are in season or that you need to use up in your kitchen.
And I’ve used refried beans instead of black beans and actually love the thicker consistency it offers. So really, whatever you have will do here!
I’m a big fan of cooking the filling on the stovetop and then broiling the stuffed bell peppers with the rice mixture and cheese. The flavors all merry together and I like having more control on the timing of cooking each of the ingredients (and avoiding raw meat).
Red Pepper Recipes
We eat A LOT of red bell pepper in our house. It’s most often mixed into my homemade fajita seasoning for tacos, but we also love bell pepper quiche and in this easy veggie hummus wrap.
If you haven’t tried roasting bell peppers, you absolutely must – it’s so easy! They’re scrumptious on this red pepper toast – a quick appetizer that everyone will gobble down!
Mexican Recipes
Want more Mexican-inspired recipes? Mexican fruit cups are always an unexpected and very popular serving! Mexican pinwheels are a fun appetizer that’s actually very simple and easy to make!
Homemade fajita seasoning is a must-have no brainer in our world, something we use regularly in my carnitas nachos, my one pot Mexican casserole (a fabulous dinner for a small crowd), and my 7 layer sweet potato dip (vegan)!
This Mexican Chocolate Cake is simple and yet so deliciously amazing – same goes for my Iced Mexican Mocha.
Need a drink? These mango margaritas are quite fab?
STUFFED BELL PEPPERS w. WILD RICE
Ingredients
- 2 bell peppers halved vertically - stem to stern, seeded
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes not too spicy but optional
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups cooked rice (wild, white, brown, or mixed) how to cook rice + quinoa
- 1 15oz. can black beans drained
- 1 quart homemade canned tomatoes or 2-15 oz cans
- ½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups medium or sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to broil.
- To cook pepper halves in oven, place peppers in baking dish. Cover bottom with water. Cover with foil, let cook 15-20 minutes, or until slightly tender. Dish will be very hot when stuffing peppers, but there's only the one dish! Alternatively, you can soften the peppers in the microwave. Place peppers in microwave safe bowl with 1-inch water. Cover. Cook 7-8 minutes. Continue to cook in 1-2 minute intervals until slightly tender.
- Heat large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining seasonings. Saute 3-5 minutes until translucent. Add rice, beans, and tomatoes. Add remaining one teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until warm throughout (5-8 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place bell pepper halves cut side up in baking dish. Scoop rice mixture into peppers, mounding slightly. Sprinkle with desired amount of cheddar cheese.
- Melt and brown cheese under broiler 5-7 minutes.
Mahy says
Love these peppers. Easy to make and so much flavor – just what I love! 😉
Ned says
Oh I loved the wild rice in these stuffed peppers! I also loved having these for lunch the next day! Thank you!
gunjan says
When I came across this recipe I felt as if you read my mind. I have been looking for a recipe something like this and i must say that these stiffed peppers were the best. OS flavorful and so satisfying.
Krissy says
These were so satisfying! I Ioved how each bite had a little bit of everything.
Beth says
Such an easy and incredibly delicious meal. My family loved it. Thanks!