Turn up the volume on your next TACO TUESDAY night with these sensational stuffed peppers!
Normally, I am not a stuffed pepper kind of a gal, although, I do however love the “non-classic” type of stuffed peppers that we create when we’re being inventive! I find the plain rice and beef peppers that are covered in the tomato sauce to be brutally boring, a little dry if we’re being honest, and unfortunately, quite flavorless. Uh oh.. that might have been a tad harsh, but you Diamonds know I keep it real here on the blog! I’ve always wanted to find a way to make them so that I’ll truly enjoy eating them enough to make them again and again. THIS recipe right here Diamonds is the best stuffed pepper recipe you’ll ever try! There are endless layers of flavors and so many textures to experience when digging into these Cubanelles.
Let me show you how to make them so you can dig in!
First and foremost!
- Wash and dry your Cubanelle peppers.
- Slice them open longways.
- Deseed each pepper so that they’re all cleaned out and ready for the taco filling.
- Small dice one white onion.
- Saute the onions in a drizzle of olive oil and a pad of butter for about three minutes over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef on top of the onions in the same pan and allow the meat to brown while you break it up into small chunks.
- Once the meat is fully browned you’ll want to add in 1/2 can of black beans.
- 1/2 block of cream cheese to make this meat mixture silky, creamy, and even more filling.
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. You can of course use the taco seasoned shredded cheese or a Mexican blend of some sort if you would like as well.
- An entire taco seasoning packet whisked with 3/4 cups of water.
- A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
- A couple drops of Worcestershire sauce.
- Most people don’t do this step when making stuffed peppers, however, I believe it that it is a crucial step considering it gives the peppers another amazing layer of flavor that it certainly wouldn’t have if you didn’t do this!
- Sear the halved peppers for a few minutes on each side in good olive oil over medium heat for some great caramelization. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper!
- Once the peppers are finished being caramelized and your meat mixture is complete, it’s time to stuff!
Stuff the peppers until your heart is content! If you love a lot of filling, go for it! If you don’t then hold back a bit.
Now that we have stuffed the peppers it is of course time to top them with loads of yummy gooey cheese!
- I used a shredded Mexican blend cheese along with some sharp white cheddar for a nice tangy zip of flavor on top!
- Finish these peppers with a few dashes of hot sauce! You can of course use that same hot sauce you used in the meat mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes to melt the cheese and get these stuffed peppers where they are meant to be!
Now for the fun part! THE TOPPINGS:
- Fresh cut limes.
- Sliced black olives.
- Some cubed avocado.
- Thinly shredded lettuce.
- Cilantro leaves.
- Cilantro lime aioli- In a measuring cup mix 1/2 cup of mayo, 1/3 cups of sour cream, the juice of half a lime, chili powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and a squeeze of honey. This particular aioli is best to create in a measuring cup because it’s easily pourable that way!
You’re more then welcome to serve salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, diced tomatoes, or even more of our cilantro lime aioli on the side for serving so that everyone is welcomed to all of their favorite options.
These creamy and cheesy taco stuffed Cubanelle peppers are delicious in every way possible! They satisfy that TACO TUESDAY craving that we all get every single week without having to devouring all of those extra carbs. Now Diamonds, don’t get it twisted! I am definitely all for the carbohydrates because your body needs energy to get so many important tasks done daily. Although, if you are on a fitness journey, or you just want to feel your absolute best then these peppers are perfect for you! They’re also really perfect to plan on making for super bowl Sunday!! All you’ll need to do is make as many peppers as the number of guests you have coming over to watch the big game. You can also serve the toppings in bigger bowls so that you have more then enough of all the good stuff! It’ll be such a hit and something that will be a bit healthier as well, especially if you have other heavier items on your game day menu.
Deepfrieddiamonds 