Hedden Family Recipes

Stuffed peppers

1 cup cooked brown rice
6 large bell peppers with stems; see directions about how to remove piths (the part with the seeds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, partially drained, or the same amount of fresh tomatillos or tomatoes
Fajita seasoning
1 15-ounce can black beans or kidney beans
1 cup frozen corn
½ cup shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella or something similar)
Optional garnish: Chopped cilantro, diced avocado, sour cream, and salsa

Start brown rice.
While rice is cooking, preheat oven to 350°F.
On one side of each pepper, make a longitudinal cut from the bottom toward the stem, then, close to the stem, make a transverse (sideways) cut in both directions from the first cut, but just on the same side of the pepper: do not go all the way around. Spread the cut-open edges apart gently, reach in with a sharp knife, and cut out the pith: leave the stem in place. Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and bake for about 10 minutes. Once peppers are soft, set them aside.
In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and mushrooms and sauté 4-5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes or tomatillos, fajita seasoning, beans, corn, and, once rice has finished cooking, cooked rice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until mixture thickens slightly, 6-8 minutes.
Spoon mixture into each pepper half. Sprinkle shredded cheese over peppers, cover baking dish with foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until peppers are softened.
Serve topped with chopped cilantro, and diced avocado, sour cream and salsa on the side.