When I first started trying to learn how to cook by looking up recipes earlier in 2014, I found stuffed peppers on nearly EVERY site/blog! They seemed a little too advanced for me at the time, BUT here I am. I decided to give them a try and I’m so glad I did. Now I know why everyone was making them!

They are relatively easy, super delicious, and HEALTHY! They include protein, veggies, fats, and carbs for a balanced meal, and beautiful display. These are would especially be good if you’re taking an appetizer or a meal to a party or hosting someone!

I slightly improvised with the recipe as I went, so feel free to fudge this a bit as well! 🙂 It will still taste good!

At the end, I had more than enough mixture to fill 6 peppers cut in half. So 12 halves. A serving is probably 2 or 3 halves, so we had leftovers for lunch the next day! We had some leftover mixture to put in a wrap like a taco or use as dip with chips.

I used: 

-3 Green and 3 Red Organic Peppers (feel free to mix and match whatever color peppers you want!)

-One can of organic black beans (drained)

-One bag of frozen organic corn kernels

-Two Cups of already cooked quinoa (make this in advance!)

-A little over a pound of all natural chicken tenders (one pack)

-One Cup of Organic Tomato Pasta Sauce

-Two cups of frozen cut onions (but you could definitely slice it fresh and use a whole onion! I always opt for convenience)

-about a Tablespoon of Cumin

-about a Tablespoon of Chili Powder

-2 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic (or feel free to use fresh if you have it!)

-Teaspoons of Salt and Pepper

-Mexican 4 Cheese shredded blend. Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese would probably work as well.

Instructions: 

1. Be sure you’ve already cooked the quinoa! About one cup dry will give you two cups cooked. If you end up cooking more, you can use it for meal prep with other meals for the week!
2. Use a large skillet on the stove top on high heat. Pour in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the onion for about 3-5 minutes. (It took a couple minutes for my frozen onions to de-thaw and cook, but may take less time if you use fresh)
3. Cut your peppers in half, take out the seeds, and place on a cooking sheet. Pre-Heat Oven to 375.
4. Add the chicken tenders to the stove top with the onions so you’re able to see better if they’re cooking well. Once you’ve flipped them & they’re no longer pink, add all of the seasonings! You may want to cut them into pieces so they’ll split apart into stringy, shredded, digestible pieces more easily.
5. You can turn the heat down to medium. Add in the tomato sauce and let cook for another few minutes to help the chicken become more tender.
6. Then, add the corn and beans. Stir and continue to let cook for about another 5 minutes or so. You can take a fork and knife and pull apart the chicken in the skillet and make sure it’s evenly distributed in the mixture.
7. After your mixture is well stirred and cooked, scoop it out into the peppers on the baking tray. Cook in the oven for ~25 minutes. (I took mine out at 20 & they were fine) Take them out, add cheese on top, then put back in for another 3-4 minutes.
8. The longer you leave them in the oven, the softer the shell of the pepper gets. I ate mine with my hands just taking bites of the whole thing while my husband cut his with a knife and fork. ENJOY!!