Halloween Stuffed Peppers

It is a recipe for 4 people, but I still had some “stuffing” left over.

I used 4 orange peppers and cut the tops off, cleaned the insides out and rinsed them.

For the stuffing: 1 pound of the leanest ground beef my store had (I believe it was 93/7) browned and drained. 1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning with 3/4 cup water and simmered for 5 minutes. Add in 1 can of black beans drained and rinsed. Add 1 small can of diced petite tomatoes drained. Add 1/4 cup of low fat Mexican blend shredded cheese. Add 1 tablespoon of mild taco sauce. And half a jar (about 1 cup) of salsa. (I used organic locally made salsa). Add 1 “family sized” bag of cooked brown rice (I used boil in a bag rice for its ease, but you can substitute any rice or quinoa as well) Mix well.

Spoon stuffing into peppers. Top with sprinkle of the cheese, place the tops on and bake at 400 for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven, remove tops, add sprinkle of crushed taco shells/tortilla chips and another sprinkle of cheese, and replace tops and bake for an additional 5 minutes.