Beef and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers with Monterey Jack

These roasted stuffed bell peppers are filled with a hearty mix of ground beef, quinoa, crushed tomatoes, onion, scallions and Southwest spices.

A layer of Monterey Jack melts over the top, while lime wedges add a bright finish right before serving.

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Ingredients

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Yellow OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit ScallionsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LimeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup QuinoaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Ground BeefView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Southwest Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Red Bell PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Yellow Bell PeppersView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 box Crushed TomatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup Monterey Jack CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the produce. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a small pot, bring 1 cup water, the chicken stock concentrate and a pinch of salt to a boil.
3. Halve, peel and dice the yellow onion. Trim and thinly slice the scallions. Cut the lime into wedges.
4. When the stock mixture boils, stir in the quinoa. Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and scallions and cook, tossing, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking it into pieces as it cooks. Cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Stir in the Southwest spice blend and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
8. While the beef cooks, halve the red and yellow bell peppers lengthwise and remove the white ribs and seeds. Rub the peppers all over with a drizzle of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
9. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, arrange them cut-side up on the baking sheet.
10. Stir the crushed tomatoes into the pan with the beef and bring to a simmer. Cook until the flavors come together and the tomatoes reduce slightly, about 5 minutes.
11. When the quinoa is done, add it to the beef and tomato mixture and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
12. Spoon as much filling as will fit into the roasted pepper halves. Sprinkle Monterey Jack cheese over the tops.
13. Return the stuffed peppers to the oven and roast until the peppers are very soft and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
14. Divide any remaining filling between plates, place the stuffed peppers on top and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Do I need to cook the quinoa before stuffing the peppers?

Yes. The quinoa is simmered separately in water with chicken stock concentrate and salt until tender, then stirred into the beef and tomato filling.

What should I do with extra filling?

Spoon any remaining beef and quinoa filling onto the plates first, then place the finished stuffed peppers on top.

How do I know the stuffed peppers are done?

After the filled peppers return to the oven, they are ready when the peppers are very soft and the Monterey Jack cheese has melted.