Stuffed peppers have always been kind of a hit or miss for me. I’ve had some where the raw peppers were filled and baked right off the bat and while that cuts down on prep time, you often end up with semi-raw peppers and warm filling which is decidedly not appetizing. On the flip side, if you over cook the peppers before stuffing them, they don’t hold the filling well and you and up with a plate of mush at the end, which is also not ideal. I’ve played around with a few different techniques and this one has given me the best results. You end up with tender yet sturdy peppers for all your filling needs!
This recipe is very versatile – you can add ground beef and any other vegetables you may have lying around, this is just my go to combo for a delicious vegetarian dinner that’s hearty and satisfying! Flavor is key though, so if you are adding extra ingredients just make sure you’re seasoning them appropriately!
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers
Course: Vegetarian Recipes4
servings30
minutes40
minutes1
hour10
minutesIngredients
2 medium sized sweet potatoes diced
1 small onion diced
1 can black beans
4 large bell peppers
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup brown rice
1 1/4 c water
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
- For the Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, salt and pepper
- Place diced sweet potatoes in a large bowl, drizzle with about 1/4 cup olive oil, add spice mix and toss to coat evenly
- Spread sweet potatoes out on a baking sheet and roast for about 25 mins (use a spatula to flip halfway through cooking)
- For the Black Beans:
- Add olive oil to a small sauce pan and heat until shimmering
- Add diced onions and cook on low/medium heat until they start to become translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne, and minced garlic, stir to combine and cook until garlic just becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add black beans with liquid from can, and simmer for about 20 mins while sweet potatoes cook
- For the Brown Rice:
- Combine brown rice and water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 mins
- Remove from heat and let sit for 10 mins
- For the Peppers:
- Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove seeds and membrane (if any peppers are uneven when standing, shave off some of the bottom so that they stand up easily. Just make sure you don’t cut off too much and end up with a hole in the bottom of your pepper)
- Flip peppers upside down on a baking sheet (tops facing down) and cover with foil. Toss in the oven with the sweet potatoes for about 10-15 minutes until they start to become tender
- Filling and Baking the Peppers:
- Combine roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, and rice in a large bowl. Taste and add additional seasoning if needed. Sometimes at this step I’ll add hot sauce, jalapeños, chopped cilantro, cooked ground beef or shredded chicken if you’re feeding a carnivore. It’s a versatile recipe so have fun with it!
- Flip peppers right side up and place in a baking dish that has sides (if you do it on a baking sheet you run the risk of a wayward pepper toppling over in the baking process and then you’re stuck cleaning beans off the bottom of your oven.)
- Stuff the peppers with filling, cover baking dish with foil, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the peppers, sprinkle with shredded cheese and retunr to the oven to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, plate, add avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro, salsa, etc. to the tops of the peppers and serve!