Emergency Stuffed Peppers

I swear, I've got to be the worst for buying groceries without ever looking at what I already have in the fridge / pantry. Am I alone here? I'll end up with 3 cans of the same beans, a new package of basil despite one or two of them in my fridge begging for mercy, and in this case, bell peppers when I already have them from my previous shop. If you're like me, sometimes you create a recipe around an emergency, or rather, necessity in order to prevent waste.

I had a couple giant red bell peppers that were begging to be used in my fridge. It also happened that I had a half package of plant-based meats and some open cheeses that needed to go. Stuffed peppers are one of my fave things to eat, and it also happens that they're easy to put together in order to use up some half used items or in danger items in the fridge. Here's my emergency pepper recipe which managed to prevent the waste f the peppers, half package of meatless meat, and some Monterey Jack I'd completely forgotten about.

Easy Peasy Pantry Purge Peps

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hour 10 Min

Yields: 2 Servings 

What You Need

• 2 Large Red Bell Peppers
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
• 1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 Jalapenos, diced (include seeds if you'd like an extra kick of heat)
• 1/2 340g pkg. Impossible Beef
• 1 Tsp. Clubhouse Garlic Plus Seasoning
• 250g Uncle Ben's 2 Minute Long Grain & Wild Rice with Herbs
• 1 C Aged Cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 C Monterey Jack with Jalapenos, shredded
• Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper
• Fresh Parsley for Garnish

Directions

• Begin heating the EVOO, garlic, and pepper flakes, in a 10" non-stick set to about medium. Once heated, stir and sizzle for about 30 seconds or so before adding the onion, jalapeno, and a good pinch of both salt & pepper. Let the veggies cook about 7 - 8 minutes until softened, stirring as needed. Drop in the plant-based beef and break it up in to crumbles as it cooks. After a few minutes, season with another good pinch of salt, pepper, and the Clubhouse garlic seasoning. Continue to stir and cook as you microwave the Uncle Ben's rice according to directions. Once the rice is ready, add it directly to the skillet and stir until everything is nice and combined. Turn off the heat and fold in 3/4 of the aged cheddar until cheesy ad melty. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. It's ok if the filling is a little salty, the peppers are unsalted and full of water, so it will balance out. Set aside.​

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• Preheat your oven to 350 F
• Slice your peppers in half through the stems giving you two pepper bowls essentially. Scoop out the pith / seeds as best you can leaving you with an empty pepper bowl. Nestle the peppers in to a baking dish large enough to accommodate them. Divide the cheesy filling between the 4 peppers, pressing the filling down to ensure they're nice and filled. Top them with the remaining cheddar & the Monterey Jack and finish with a sprinkle of pepper flakes.
• Loosely cover the dish with tinfoil, making sure to tent the tinfoil to avoid the cheese sticking to it. Once covered, place in your preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue for another 15 minutes until melty and slightly golden. Remove the dish and set it onto a wire cooling rack. Sprinkle the peppers with parsley and once they've cooled for 5 ish, serve them up and enjoy!

HAPPY VEG