Fresh bell peppers are stuffed with a hearty mixture of ground beef, rice, pinto beans, tomatoes and taco spices. It is cooked up perfectly and topped with plenty of melted cheese!
Cut off the top of each pepper and remove the seeds. Place the peppers (standing upright) into a 9x13 glass baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.If you need to trim a little off the bottom so they will stand, take care not to cut all the way through.
6 large bell peppers – that stand up nicely
In a large skillet cook the ground beef, onion and ½ teaspoon kosher salt until the ground beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat.
1 onion, 1 lb. 85/15 ground beef, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Return the skillet over medium-low heat stir in the tomato paste and the minced garlic. Cook for about 1 minute.
2 Tbsp. tomato paste, 3 cloves garlic
Add in the taco seasoning, Rotel and green chilies and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
1 pkt. Taco seasoning, 10 oz (can) Original Rotel tomatoes, 4 oz (can) chopped green chilies
Finally add the pinto beans, onion powder, chili powder and cooked rice and stir to combine.
15.5 oz (can) pinto beans, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 cup cooked rice
Remove from heat. Add in 1 cup shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Divide the ground beef filling evenly among the 6 peppers. You may need to lightly press the filling to fit more in, making sure you use all the filling. DON'T top with the cheese just yet!
Cover the 9x13 stuffed peppers pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and uncover. Top the peppers with the remaining 2 cups cheese, dividing it equally.
Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve immediately.
Make Ahead
Prepare the stuffed peppers without topping with cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if you are cooking straight out of the fridge.
Reheating
Cut the pepper in half, exposing the filling.
Pop in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until the filling is heated through.