Pepper Party

Colored peppers are a staple in my diet and this week they were on sale 2 for $1...unheard of! Naturally, I stocked up and bought more than I probably should have. I'm a sucker for a deal, what can I say? Enter: Mexican Stuffed Peppers. I really have only had these a couple times in my life but they seemed easy enough and I could use things I already had on hand, my kind of dish! I didn't follow much of a recipe but these Mexican stuffed peppers turned out great so I thought I would share! Plus they were really filling with lots of protein, something I am always trying to get more of in my life.

Ingredients:
1/2 a pound of lean ground beef
1 pack mexican/taco seasoning and water
1 can black-eyed peas
1 can diced tomatoes and chilis (I used Rotel)
1/2 of a diced red onion
1 can of black beans
1/2 cup of cheese (optional)
Plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream (optional)
Little olive oil or butter for peppers

Brown meat in skillet and drain grease. Add seasoning with suggested water based on the packet you are using. Add cans of beans, tomatoes and chopped onions to skillet. Bring to boil then let simmer, uncovered, for 3 or 4 minutes. Cut peppers and clean out the seeds. Use a little butter or olive oil on the outside and inside of the peppers to help them cook. My method was putting butter on a paper towel and rubbing down the peppers. Place in baking dish. 
When skillet mix has mostly thickened, scoop into peppers. (I had more mix than peppers so I saved the rest for tacos/wraps/whatever you want). Pop in the oven at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Cover with foil for the last 5-10 minutes for a total of 30 minutes. Pull out and add cheese. Back in the oven for a minute or two, just to melt the cheese. Peppers should now be soft. Let cool for a few minutes, scoop one onto a plate, top with Greek yogurt (seriously, just like sour cream), and dig in! 

Like I said, I grabbed whatever I had in the cupboard that felt Mexican. I could have added corn or rice or even some extra peppers chopped up if I had them. Or used chicken instead of beef. You can't mess these up, I promise, so have fun experimenting!