Chili-Stuffed Peppers

This year has been a very good year for peppers in my garden.  This is the Big Bertha Bell pepper I picked this week that inspired a cruise around my fave vegan blogs for a stuffed pepper recipe.

Success!  The Fat Free Vegan to the rescue!  I modified her recipe just a bit and loved the result; definitely a keeper.  I grew up eating peppers stuffed with a burger mixture, which I always loved, and these are just as yummy!

I had everything I needed in my pantry and garden:

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 package fresh mushrooms, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (or more to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed well (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
• 1 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup prepared rice (I cooked 2 cups, and saved the remainder for other recipes)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or more, to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 bell peppers

For toppings:

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• cilantro, chopped
• fresh tomato, chopped
• avocado, sliced

Preheat oven to 400F.

Saute onion in a bit of veggie broth or water until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

Add mushrooms, jalapeno, and garlic.  Cook until mushrooms soften, adding broth as needed to prevent sticking.

While onions and mushrooms cook, cut an opening down the side of each pepper, leaving the stem end on.  Carefully remove ribs and seeds.

Chop the pepper parts you just cut off and add them to the pan.  Saute for a few more minutes to allow them to soften.

Add beans, corn, fire roasted tomatoes, and spices.  Stir to combine and cook for a minute or two to blend the flavors.

Add cooked rice.  1 cup was what looked right to me, but add more or less to your own taste.  Stir to combine.

Spray a pan with cooking spray and arrange peppers in it.  Stuff each with the filling.  Don’t they look yummy?!

Bake 30-40 minutes, until peppers are tender.

Arrange toppings next to a pepper to serve, or place them on top.  Enjoy!

I couldn’t stop making the yum sound.  I was a bit worried these wouldn’t be as hearty as a meat-stuffed pepper, but turns out they are just as satisfying if not even more so.  I had a fair amount of stuffing left over, which we’ve made into some mighty yummy burritos.  I think it would also be fabulous as a squash stuffing, and as a topper for a tofu scramble.  Yum, yum, yummy!