Pepper-Stuffed Peppers with Chorizo

These stuffed peppers are a little different (and a little lighter) than most because we used about one-third of each pepper as a primary ingredient in the filling. We sautéed the chopped pepper and combined it with cooked rice, Monterey Jack cheese, garlic, onion, fresh cilantro and a little crumbled chorizo sausage for added spice. Served with a drizzle of lime and cumin flavored sour cream they make a nice light meal with unique flavor.

Pepper-Stuffed Peppers with Chorizo

Pepper-Stuffed Peppers with Chorizo

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

We chopped the top third of these colorful bell peppers and sauteed them for the filling, which also includes rice, chorizo, garlic, onion, cilantro and Monterey Jack cheese.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium bell peppers (mixed colors - red, yellow, green, orange)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 or 2 links fresh chorizo sausage, casing removed
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

For the sour cream drizzle:

  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F and coat a baking dish just large enough to hold the peppers upright (an 8 or 9-inch square works well) with nonstick spray.
  2. Slice the top 1/3 from each pepper, remove the stem and seeds and set aside. Lightly season the insides of the pepper bottoms with salt and pepper, then transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake until the peppers are just beginning to soften, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  3. While the peppers are baking, chop the reserved tops into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute, then add the chorizo.
  5. Sauté the sausage until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up any large chunks of meat as it cooks. Add the chopped bell pepper along with the jalapeño. Combine well and continue cooking until the bell pepper is tender, 4 to 5 minutes longer.
  6. Remove from the heat, add the rice and combine well. Add the Monterey Jack and cilantro, mix again, then taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
  7. Divide the filling between the par-cooked peppers and bake for 15 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the filling is piping hot.
  8. While the peppers bake, combine the sour cream, lime juice and cumin in a small bowl. To serve, plate the peppers and drizzle each with a little sour cream sauce. Serve the remaining sauce at the table.
© Lynne Webb
Category: Main Dishes