Take all of your favorite enchilada ingredients and flavors, brown them up in a skillet, and stuff it into a juicy bell pepper. Baked until golden with bubbly cheese on top, these Enchilada Stuffed Peppers are a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight meal.
This blog post is sponsored by Best Food Facts. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Best Food Facts hosted a group of famers and food bloggers for three days in San Antonio, Texas. We explored family ranches, production facilities, toured the grocery store, and developed / created recipes focused on beef.
Table of Contents
About the Cattle Industry
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to San Antonio, Texas to explore and learn about American Agriculture, specifically the beef industry. It was fascinating, eye opening, and incredibly informative. Overall, my knowledge of the cattle industry is now multifaceted and I’m excited to share it with all of you.
- Prior to this trip, I was naive about, well, basically everything about the production of beef and the meat industry. If I can bring one thing back to you, it’s to lean into the knowledge provided about products and food you buy.
- This trip encouraged me to question what I’m used to, challenge why I buy what I do, and think of alternative ways to prepare the same type of meat. A prime example of this is ‘Grass-Fed’ Beef. When you read 'grass-fed beef', what do you think of? Is it a buzz work you’re used to seeing? Prior, I would have assumed it’s the best just because it’s more expensive, and I see grass-fed on the logo. I now understand that it's simply a marketing phrase that encourages people to buy it. In reality, cattle are meant to have a diverse diet just like humans.
- Dean and Peeler, a co-owned family ranch, produces beef for consumers. What’s unique about their business, is that they sustain a vertical integration of beef. What does that mean? It means that they oversee the cattle from birth to consumers' plates. Oftentimes, there are too many middlemen and only pieces to the overall production of beef. It was SO incredible to learn about the feed farms, how calves are raised and cared for, and it’s all done with the end consumer in mind. Typically, the beef industry is older and doesn't get the best media representation. However, better messaging and positive customer experience is pushing it in a more positive direction. Dean and Peeler walked us through their feeding process, the technology used that allows them to provide the most attentive and supportive care, and how cattle is marked that directly translates to the type of meat they will have. Example: USDA prime, choice, grade, and select. This is determined by the marbling and toughness of the cut of meat that is detected by technology. It’s really important to Dean and Peeler that all of the cow is used to its fullest. One, it’s more cost effective and profitable for them, but two, it’s less wasteful. 4% of the cow is used for filets, tenderloins, and prime rib. That leaves a WHOLE lot of other ways to use less desired beef. Dean and Peeler has a number of fabulous cuts, but they also sell marinated and unique types of meat to utilize the rest of the cow. (ex. seasoned carne asada)
- I was really impressed with all of the USDA regulated checks and balances that this industry has. One wrong move and there are severe repercussions and penalties that put businesses weeks behind (hellooo supply chain).
- A few fun facts: everything that is fed to cattle is a byproduct of another industry - corn/hay/cotton/ etc. Cattle eat a variety of things; they have requirements just like humans. They have doctors and nutritionists (just like humans) that determine what their needs are for their bodies. Think of it like a designed macro count ;P You can think of a cow's diet similar to a human; it needs a diverse and well rounded diet to sustain nourishment. On the other hand, the overall tameness of cattle directly contributes to the overall quality of meat and production / delivery to the customer. Did you know that 90% of the farms and ranchers in America are family owned? I often don’t realize the sacrifices and effort that goes into ALL food production in America. It is impressive and built on generations of hard work.
After spending a full day on the farm learning about cattle and cattle production, we headed into the grocery store and culinary kitchen the next day. We were teamed up together to compete in a 'CHOPPED' style tournament. Tylar and I made beef street tacos (similar to these Carne Asada Beef Street Tacos) with a pico de gallo and cilantro lime rice. It was SUCH a joy being in a culinary kitchen. Best of both worlds for farmers and food bloggers.
Ok, now that you're looped in on my travels and hopefully learned something new about beef production, let's make enchilada stuffed peppers!
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef - I used 90% lean, 10% fat, but you can use whatever you like the most. Also look for sustainably sourced meat!
- Bell Peppers - Bell peppers with 4 points on the bottom work best if you want to top fill your peppers, as they can better stand upright in your baking dish once they’re stuffed. I chose to halve my bell peppers and stuff them flat. If you choose this route, any shape pepper will work.
- Red Enchilada Sauce - I used Medium Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce from a can. If you have a favorite jarred enchilada sauce, feel free to use that instead (Trader Joe’s has a great one). You’ll need 10 oz total.
- Fajita Seasoning - Seasoning packets result in a ton of flavor with minimal effort. Taco seasoning works too or you could also use a combination of paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and salt.
- Colby Jack Cheese - A mild, smooth cheese that pairs well with the Mexican flavors in the Enchilada Stuffed Peppers.
- Beans - I used kidney beans. Feel free to sub black beans or even refried beans if you prefer a smoother texture.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make This Recipe
1. If you’re not using pre-cooked rice, prepare the rice according to the bag instructions. If cooking rice from scratch, I recommend mixing in a tablespoon of butter after cooking, too.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash bell peppers and cut them in half through the stem and remove the seeds. Place the peppers into a ceramic baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Bake them for 10 minutes with nothing in them. This will help remove some of the moisture from the pepper to ensure we don’t have a wet, soggy stuffed pepper after assembling.
While the rice and bell peppers are underway, use a vegetable chopper to dice the white onion and additional bell pepper. Open the green chiles and drain the excess juice.
3. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Then, add the diced white onion, bell pepper, green chiles, and ground beef to the skillet. Cook for 8 minutes or until the meat is more brown than red. Add the fajita seasoning and water (if the seasoning packet calls for it). Allow the meat to finish cooking and soak in the fajita seasoning. Remove pan from heat.
4. Drain and rinse the kidney bean then add to the meat skillet. Once the rice has fully cooked (ensure no water is remaining!!), add the rice to the meat and beans. Stir filling mixture together. Then add the can of enchilada sauce and stir again. It should be a lovely mixture of meat, beans, and rice - all covered in sauce.
5. Then, use a large serving spoon to scoop the filling mixture into each semi-cooked bell pepper. Divide the mixture equally between the 8 halves. Top all 8 pepper halves with shredded cheese.
Bake your Enchilada Stuffed Peppers for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and peppers have softened. Serve a la carte, topped with guacamole and/or salsa, sour cream, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Store these Enchilada Stuffed Peppers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also just prep the filling ahead of time if you’d like then assemble and bake when you plan to enjoy them.
Freezing stuffed peppers can be a little difficult in order to avoid the filling from falling out when tossed around in the freezer, but it is possible. I suggest wrapping each pepper tightly in plastic wrap, then placing it in an airtight container before putting it in the freezer. Try to avoid moving the container for ~6 hours so their initial freeze gets the filling locked in place. Peppers can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.
Bell peppers typically come with either one, three, or four points on the bottom. If your pepper has one or three points, I recommend slicing the peppers in half through the stem and then de-seeding (as recipe is written).
If your pepper has four points on the bottom, you can choose to make these bell peppers standing upright. To do this just cut about ½ inch of the pepper off the top to remove the stem and then remove seeds as if you are gutting a pumpkin. Fill the peppers with the enchilada filling from the top and bake them standing up.
- Instead of rice, try quinoa or cauliflower rice
- Use green enchilada sauce instead of red. Using salsa is an option too!
- Make enchilada stuffed zucchini instead of peppers.
- Use ground chicken, turkey, black beans, or crumbled tofu in place of the beef.
- Add some heat with jalapeño slices, red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper to the filling mixture.
More Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Enchilada Stuffed Pepper Recipe
Equipment
- skillet
- Rubber Spatula
- Meat spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sauce pot
- pyrex baking dish
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- vegetable chopper optional
- Spoon
- Can opener
- strainer
Ingredients
- 4.5 bell peppers
- 1 lbs ground beef, 90% lean
- 1 can red enchilada sauce, 10 oz
- 1 can green chiles, 4.5 oz drained
- ½ white onion
- 1 packet fajita seasoning
- 1 cup cooked rice, ⅓ cup dry
- 1 can kidney beans, 15 oz
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
- cooking spray, as needed
Instructions
- If you’re not using pre-cooked rice, prepare the rice according to the bag instructions. If cooking rice from scratch, I recommend mixing in a tablespoon of butter after cooking, too.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash bell peppers and cut them in half through the stem and remove the seeds. Place the peppers into a ceramic baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Bake them for 10 minutes with nothing in them.
- While the rice and bell peppers are underway, use a vegetable chopper to dice the white onion and additional bell pepper. Open the green chiles and drain the excess juice.
- Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add the diced white onion, bell pepper, green chiles, and ground beef to the skillet. Cook for 8 minutes or until the meat is more brown than red. Add the fajita seasoning and water (if the seasoning packet calls for it). Allow the meat to finish cooking and soak in the fajita seasoning. Remove pan from heat.
- Drain and rinse the kidney bean then add to the meat skillet. Once the rice has fully cooked (ensure no water is remaining!!), add the rice to the meat and beans. Stir filling mixture together. Add the can of enchilada sauce and stir again.
- Use a large serving spoon to scoop the filling mixture into each semi-cooked bell pepper. Divide the mixture equally between the 8 halves.
- Top all 8 pepper halves with shredded cheese.
- Bake your Enchilada Stuffed Peppers for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and peppers have softened. Serve a la carte, topped with guacamole and/or salsa, sour cream, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find ENCHILADA STUFFED PEPPERS calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Courtney Paige says
These are SO GOOD!! The beef mixture is fabulous on its own. I love adding it to a burrito if I don't have peppers on hand.
Sydney Van Acker says
I don't eat a ton of meat so I subbed the ground beef with a can of black beans and major yum! such a hearty, but easy meal.
Kathleen says
My fiancé and I LOVED this recipe. We are lazy cooks on Sunday nights so we did not stuff the peppers and instead chopped the peppers up and added to the mix. The flavors were incredible! Highly recommend this recipe for an easy, delicious meal! I’m so glad we doubled the recipe for leftovers!
Jen Boudreau says
These were so good!! Great twist on the classic stuffed peppers. We had left overs that were great for lunch the next day!
Molly Baechler says
Delicious! A great recipe for busy weeknights that the whole family will love. The spicy filling is so good and made for great leftovers the next day!