Inspiration: It’s great to have meals sometimes that can use up all of your leftover odds and ends in the refrigerator and pantry. Somehow this week, I managed to overbuy all kinds of produce, and I found myself with a drawer full of vegetables that needed to be used. Omelets and pastas are other great meals for these situations, but I had a lot of vegetables with TexMex flavors, so I decided on stuffed peppers.

What we Loved: I really loved the flavor of the stuffing in these peppers. I put together a mix of black beans, garlic, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and black olives, and the resulting filling tasted really great both cold and after having been cooked inside the peppers. I had some extra filling, so I snacked on it as I prepared supper, and B ate the rest alongside his meal. I served these with some avocado slices sprinkled with Kosher salt for a nice, vegetable-filled supper.

Helpful Hints: I would suggest making sure to cover your baking pan with foil before cooking the peppers. I didn’t, and the black beans that were on top before I added the cheese got far too crispy in the oven.

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Black Beans and Cheddar
Source: Original Recipe to serve 2

2 bell peppers, any color
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 roma tomato, chopped
10 black olives, roughly chopped
1 generous bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 vidalia onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado

1. Slice the peppers in half vertically, and remove the seeds and insides. Set the peppers in a baking dish.

2. Heat a drizzle of exra virgin olive oil in a saute pan. Saute the onions for two to three minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, and saute for an additional minute.

3. Place the onions in a bowl. Add the black beans, tomato, black olives, and cilantro. Mix well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Fill each bell pepper to the top with the black bean filling.

5. Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

6. Remove the baking dish from the oven, and discard the foil. Sprinkle some of the cheddar cheese on each pepper, and return to the oven. Cook for an additional five minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

7. Serve with salted avocado slices for garnish.