Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers

I really love Mexican food.  I mean I really really love it.  It is delicious, but every bit as fattening as the southern food I grew up eating. I have always loved stuffed bell peppers and usually make a spicy Italian version, but one day I decided to try it with more Latin inspired ingredients and the results are delicious and healthy.  I usually combine cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese. I love to use pepperjack to make it extra spicy, but the little guy can't handle that level of heat, so usually I make a mild batch for him and kick things up for me.

These flavorful peppers always make me feel like I am enjoying all the great flavors that come with dining in a Mexican restaurant without all the fat and calories. I combine ground turkey and pinto beans, but you can make this vegetarian by omitting the turkey, or make it an even lower carb dish by omitting the beans. It is great either way. You can also experiment with the type of beans you use. Black beans are also excellent in these peppers.  I love to top these off with a dollop of salsa and sour cream.

Start with fresh bell peppers. I love to use different colors

your seasoned Turkey meat will look like this

before they go in the oven, add a generous sprinkling of cheese

A little cheese makes everything better

Chop some fresh scallions (green onions) for topping when they come out of the oven

If you are getting hungry looking at this, you should make some

I promise you will love this

Ingredients

4 Bell peppers sliced in half with seeds removed

1 pound ground Turkey

1 packet of taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup salsa or picante sauce

1 can refried beans (or you can substitute with pinto beans or black beans  if you prefer)

1 bunch of green onions chopped for topping the peppers

2 cups shredded cheddar 

Directions:

Parboil bell peppers for five minutes and then rinse with cold water and put aside.

Spray a 9x13 dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large skillet, brown your ground turkey and season with the taco seasoning while it cooks. When the meat is brown remove from heat. In a small saucepan, heat your beans.  Remove from heat and place peppers on baking sheet and  add a thick layer of beans to each pepper. For the next layer, add the ground turkey and approximately a tablespoon of salsa on top of the  ground turkey. Top each pepper with a handful of shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Makes 5 servings

Doesn't this look tempting?

Bon Appetit!