Chili Con Carne Stuffed Peppers

Chili Con Carne Stuffed Peppers

I made these Chili Con Carne Stuffed Peppers the other day.  I was craving stuffed peppers, but wanted to do something different than your normal run-of-the-mill peppers, so I came up with this idea.  I mean, you can stuff anything into a pepper pretty much (I can think of a few off the top of my head), but one thing I knew for sure was that the pepper would give the chili that extra “kick,” and I’m a sucker for anything extra spicy. If you are looking for a new stuffed peppers recipe, this is it! This is one of my new fave comfort foods.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon unsweetened baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce

2 cups diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained

1 can red kidney beans, undrained

6-8 green bell peppers

Instant White Rice (optional)

1 package shredded cheddar cheese

9×12 baking dish (I use my trusted Le Creuset Heritage Stoneware but they have cheaper ones here)

Directions

Brown the ground beef, onions and garlic; drain. Stir in all ingredients except the beans.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes.  Add the beans and heat up to boiling again, then turn to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 350º and slice the tops of the pepper and scoop out seeds. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon chili into each pepper till full (or, depending on when you make your rice, you could scoop a little in the bottom and then top with the chili) and place them in the dish.  Bake for 20 minutes and remove to top with cheddar cheese (or a combination of cheddar and mozzarella).  Place back in over for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve with French bread or side of choice.