As you may have noticed, I love making different dishes and then ‘enchilda-izing’ them! This one is no exception. I just love all these flavors! Now to make things easier (well for every night, not just for enchilda-ized dishes), I cook and pre-shred 3-4 chicken breasts, 5+ cups of brown rice and a couple cups of black beans in the beginning of the week and store them all in airtight containers in the fridge. It makes meals like this (and so many others) easier, quicker and far less messy.
Enchilada Stuffed Bell Peppers
Serves 2 comfortably (each to have two halves of bell pepper over stuffed), or can serve 4 with a side dish (like salad, or brown rice with chopped up cilantro and lime juice mixed in)
Ingredients:
Bell Peppers
- 2 Bell Peppers
- Olive Oil
Stuffing
- 2 Medium Tomatoes (juicy tomatoes, not roma)
- 1/2 an onion (yellow, white or sweet)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 jalepeno
- 1/4 cup of cilantro
- Your favorite spanish style Spices, I use 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 Tbs Chilis in Adobo Paste (optional, but I always keep this on hand for all my enchilada dishes)
- 1 shredded chicken breast
- 1/4 cup cooked black beans (if canned, rinse them)
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- small amount of cheese to top it off (optional, I used about 2 tsp worth of goat cheese on each half)
Directions:
First things first, if you don’t have your rice pre-cooked and your chicken pre-cooked and shredded then this must be done first. Cook the rice according to package directions, and as for the chicken boil the breast for at least 15 minutes and then shred with two forks (if it doesn’t look 100% done after that don’t worry, because these will be baked in the bell pepper later as well).
For any stuffed Bell Pepper, start out pre-heating the oven to 350. Cut the bell peppers in half vertically and scoop out any seeds or ‘guts.’ In a square casserole dish (sprayed or rubbed down with a little extra virgin olive oil), place all bell pepper halves in and spray the inside of each bell pepper with olive oil as well. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
While the Bell Peppers are pre-baking, prepare the enchilada stuffing. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and toss all of it into a pan on medium-high (all juice included), next chop and add the jalepeno, onions, garlic and cilantro. Add in the seasonings. Mix all together and let cook for at least 5 minutes until it all thickens up a bit. Next add the chilis in adobo paste and re-stir. Followed by the black beans, shredded chicken, and brown rice. Stir all together well and continue cooking a few minutes longer.
When the Bell Peppers are done pre-cooking, take them out of the oven and scoop stuffing into the halves with a spoon, overstuff them! Use as much stuffing as possible! Re-cover with foil and bake for 25 more minutes.
If desired, take them out after this, top with a little cheese and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Enjoy!
Remember we all have different constraints. Do the best you can with what you have and what you know, and if you do that you will continue to grow!
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