Fiesta Stuffed Peppers

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    Stuffed peppers are a summertime favorite of mine. Usually I opt for Spanish rice to fill them with and plop them in the slow cooker. Recently, I found a recipe that used ground meat, beans, corn and tomatoes to make a filling. It's full of protein and probably very healthy. I however, substituted good old hot sausage for the turkey and used some Rotel tomatoes to zip up the flavor.
    This was easy, full of flavor and a new twist on an old classic. It's perfect for when the peppers are popping in the garden.

Fiesta Stuffed Peppers
1 lb. hot sausage
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 can Rotel with green chilies
1 can beans, drained and rinsed (red or black)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 bell peppers, halved and cleaned

1 cup corn (2 small ears with kernels sliced off)
4 bell peppers (any color) halved
1/2 cup taco or Mexican flavored shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cumin

Brown sausage over medium heat in medium large skillet. Drain excess grease.

Add onion, beans, garlic, spices and Rotel tomatoes to the skillet. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add corn last and simmer 5 minutes more.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat a 13x9x2 baking dish.

Lay halved peppers in casserole and fill with meat mixture to the top edge. Add chicken stock to bottom of baking dish, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Return to oven, uncovered for 10-15 minutes to melt cheese.

Peppers ready for oven.

Makes 2 peppers as an entree or 1 as a side dish for 4-8 people. Recipe easily cut in half and leftover reheat .

*Note - remaining filling can be spooned into a soft shell taco or used as a side dish.