Slow Cooker Sunday: Mexican stuffed peppers take just 10 minutes to prep

You wouldn’t think there would be much to have issue with when it comes to a stuffed pepper, but leave it to me to find something. I’ve always loved the sound of them, but when done in the oven, the peppers never really cooked enough for my liking, leaving me with mushy, cooked filling and an exterior pepper shell that still crunched. Not a fan. The solution to that is precooking the peppers before stuffing them, but let’s be honest, who has time for that? Not I.

Enter the slow cooker. This thing is actually the perfect stuffed pepper cooking vessel there is. When cooking low and slow like things do in slow cookers, the peppers become perfectly soft to match the stuffing inside.

This version brings all the flavors you love about Mexican food to your plate. You could even halve the meat and add black beans instead if you want an almost burrito-like filling that would be delicious too.

Slow cooker Mexican stuffed peppers recipe

Yields 4

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 4 hours | Total time: 4 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4-5 large bell peppers, tops sliced off and chopped, seeds removed
• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup cooked rice
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (pepper jack, cheddar, etc.), plus more for topping
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Chopped green onions, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the beef, rice, onion, enchilada sauce, cheese, spices and chopped pepper tops, and mix together until well combined.
2. Spoon the mixture into each pepper until filled to the top.
3. Pour 1/4 cup of water into the bottom of a slow cooker, and then place the stuffed peppers on top.
4. Sprinkle some more cheese on the top of each pepper.
5. Cover, and cook on high for 4 hours (or on low for 6 hours).
6. Remove the stuffed peppers from the slow cooker, top with sour cream and green onions, and serve.

More slow cooker recipes

Slow cooker yellow lentil dahl
Spicy citrus-cilantro slow cooker shredded chicken
Slow cooker spaghetti and meatballs