Mildly spicy recipe for stuffed bell peppers that is a quick and easy dinner that will please the whole family!
Our local farm has a bonanza of peppers this summer, from hot to mild and sweet…with every flavor in between!
With peppers being one of the few vegetables that thrive during hot, buggy Florida summers, we’ve been eating a lot of them in a variety of dishes!
Peppers, in particular bell peppers, are one of the most highly sprayed vegetables, so seeking clean, local, soil-grown varieties is worth every minute of your time. (1)
One of my children particularly enjoys stuffed bell peppers, so I changed up the recipe to be a bit spicier using ground beef seasoned with homemade taco spice mix.
*I do not recommend commercial taco spice mixes as they generally contain MSG.
Another tip for making stuffed peppers is to always buy organic cheese in blocks. Slice and shred it yourself! Here’s how to make shredded cheese at home.
The reason this is important is because commercially sliced or shredded cheese is processed with aluminum that is not labeled.
In addition, those pieces of paper that separate commercial cheese slices are slicked with hormone-disrupting silicone, otherwise known as synthetic rubber.
Even more shocking, the aluminum salts used in cheese processing are considered GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Aluminum in American cheese and processed cheese products is classified as industry standard, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) considers it GRAS (generally recognized as safe). Items that are classified as GRAS do not have to be added to food labels [Emphasis mine]. (2)
Convenience always seems to have a price to pay when it comes to your health!
For extra phytonutrients, make this dish with as many bell pepper colors as possible. I like to use yellow, orange, purple, and red. Sometimes, white or even brown are available! I avoid using green bell peppers as they are unripe.
Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers
Mildly spicy recipe for stuffed bell peppers that is a quick and easy dinner that will please the whole family!
Instructions
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Wash each bell pepper and the onion in warm, soapy water. Pat dry.
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Slice each bell pepper in half and de-seed.
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Brush extra virgin olive oil over each pepper slice. Place in a large baking pan and roast at 350°F/ 177°C for 30 minutes.
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While the peppers are roasting, coarsely chop the onion and sauté in butter in a skillet on the stovetop until slightly browned and glossy.
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Once the onions are done, brown the ground beef in the same skillet with the onions. Do not drain the fat. It is good for you 🙂
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When the beef is browned, remove the skillet from the heat and mix in the taco seasoning to the level of spiciness that you prefer.
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Remove the pan of bell peppers from the oven and spoon the spicy ground beef mixture evenly into each half. Top each stuffed pepper with a piece of hand-sliced or shredded cheddar cheese (do not use pre-sliced or shredded commercial cheese due to aluminum risk!).
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Place the pan back in the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
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Remove the pan from the oven and serve immediately.
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Refrigerate leftovers in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid for up to four days.
Nutrition Facts
Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers
Amount Per Serving (0.5 stuffed pepper)
Calories 360
Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 14g70%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 13g
Potassium 431mg12%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1.5g6%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin C 160mg194%
Calcium 239mg24%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
(1) The Dirty Dozen
(2) Hidden Food Ingredients
