Vegetarian Stuffed Cheesy Peppers
These vegetarian stuffed peppers are a fusion of Mexican and Spanish cuisine and pizza. Making them the perfect low calorie lunch or dinner for anyone looking for a healthy replacement for pizza.
Have you ever been in that situation where you think “gosh, I sure am hungry, what I could really do with is Mexican food, but maybe something more Spanish, but then again I’m really craving pizza, but that being said I’m trying to watch what I eat and pizza isn’t exactly healthy”
It’s quite a niche thought to have I won’t lie…
That being said, I solved the issue anyway! Because these vegetarian stuffed peppers are just the thing to combine all those things and much more.
It also helps that these are super easy to make. And just because they’re quite low calorie, doesn’t mean it’s just for people trying to be healthy.
You can totally disregard any of the healthy benefits and top it with double the cheese, mozzarella, and on a bed of nachos to scoop out the beany goodness.
But just because it is easy. Doesn’t mean there’s nothing that can go wrong.
Much like a pizza, the base of these stuffed peppers can make or break your meal.
You want a perfectly soft, flavoured, and cooked pepper to really let the dish shine.
Cooking the bell peppers
Above is a photo of the bell peppers before cooking. Attention has been given to cutting out all the white tough bits of the pepper. This is going to help with consistency in baking the bell peppers as well as create the perfect size bowls for your filling.
And remember, bigger bowls mean more filling, result.
Something else you want to do is season your bell peppers, don’t just shove them in the oven and pray for deliciousness.
Rub the entirety of your peppers with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
Above is what your peppers should look like once baked.
Soft, tender, with nicely charred parts.
How to serve stuffed bell peppers
On there own, these stuffed bell peppers work perfectly for lunch. Not too light, not too heavy, just right.
If you’re want these for dinner, I would recommend serving them with something else. To keep with the healthy aspect I’d recommend a nice Mediterranean salad.
For something more indulgent, as I touched on above, I’d recommend nachos.
Serve the stuffed bell pepper right on top of some tortilla chips and use them to scoop out all that beany goodness. No knife or folk needed.
Rice and filling
For the rice filling, it can be somewhat fiddly to perfectly stuff your peppers.
My best advice would be to wait till your peppers cool down. Don’t stuff them straight out the oven, that way you can get hands on. Use a spoon and make sure every part of the inside of that pepper is stuffed. That way it won’t fall apart when baking.
Another top tip is to cook extra rice. Let’s for a minute talk about fried rice. Egg fried rice, tofu fried rice, or like the recipe I have - Tofu egg fried rice.
This is a dish that works better with leftover rice. When you fry fresh rice it has a tendency to clump and stick together. Rice that’s been cooked a few hours or the day before doesn’t do that.
In fact, the key to perfectly cooked rice other then the Yum Asia rice cooker, is to use leftover rice.
So whilst you’re already cooking rice, you might as well do a big batch for tomorrows meal. Just make sure your rice is fully covered, stored in the fridge, and not for any longer than 24 hours. Then tomorrow your tofu egg fried rice will only take about 10 minutes.
Variations
Looking for variations on this recipe? Feel free to get creative, the easiest thing to change would be the seasoning. I’ve gone for more of a Mexican seasoning but you could do whatever you want - BBQ seasoning would go well.
Another thing that can have a big impact is the amount and type of cheese you add. For a real indulgent stuffed bell pepper, try mixing 30 grams of mozzarella into the cheddar before adding and baking.
As mentioned in the title, these are specifically vegetarian stuffed peppers, but don’t let that stop you adding meat if that’s your preference. Adding mince into the tomato and bean mixture would be a good idea, you could also add Quorn mince if you’re a fellow vegetarian who likes the sound of that.
Now you’re all clued up on all things vegetarian stuffed peppers, you should probably get to making them, right?
Below is that all delicious and long awaited recipe. Enjoy and don’t forget to rate if you liked it!
Vegetarian Stuffed Cheesy Peppers
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180c and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Cook your rice to packet instructions.
- Cut your bell peppers in half then cut out any seeds and/or tough bits so you have a nice bowl for your filling. Rub the entirety (inside and out) of the bell peppers with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper then bake for 20 minutes or until the peppers are soft with some dark charred bits.
- Whilst your peppers bake, heat the rest of your oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add your onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Drain and rinse your beans then add them in the pan along with the plum tomatoes, paprika, mixed herbs, and chilli powder, use the back of a wooden spoon to break apart your plum tomatoes. Turn the heat up and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Once your rice is done, add it to your bean mixture and stir through, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, and whatever else you want to add. Your peppers should also be done by this point.
- Fill the 4 halves of peppers with your rice and bean filling then top with your grated cheddar cheese.
- Put the peppers back in the oven for a further 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and started to bubble.
Notes
Top tip
Make extra rice and use it for tomorrows dinner. This tofu egg fried rice works best with day old rice. Just make sure the rice is covered and stored in the fridge for no longer than 24 hours.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
365.2Fat
15Sat. Fat
5.04Carbs
46.06Fiber
11.39Net carbs
34.69Sugar
8.28Protein
14.85Sodium
670.89Cholesterol
20The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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Hi, I’m Cameron, guv’nor of Smartblend. If you liked this then you’re in luck, I have a bunch more recipes like it. I share only vegetarian and pescatarian food recipes, cocktails, and drink guides with a sprinkling of wellness and mindful drinking. If that sounds like you, then stick around!
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