Cheesy Beef and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

These beef and quinoa stuffed bell peppers are hearty, colorful and finished with a blanket of melted Monterey Jack cheese.

The filling combines sautéed onion and scallions, seasoned ground beef, crushed tomatoes and tender quinoa, with lime wedges served on the side for a bright finish.

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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. 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 water is boiling, 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.
9. Rub the peppers all over with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and roast until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
10. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, arrange them cut-side up on the baking sheet.
11. Stir the crushed tomatoes into the beef mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook until the flavors come together and the tomatoes reduce slightly, about 5 minutes.
12. Add the cooked quinoa to the pan with the beef and tomato mixture. Stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper.
13. Fill the roasted pepper halves with as much beef-quinoa filling as will fit. Sprinkle Monterey Jack cheese over each stuffed pepper.
14. Return the stuffed peppers to the oven and roast until very soft and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
15. Divide any remaining filling between plates and place the stuffed peppers on top. Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

What should I do with extra filling?

Spoon any filling that does not fit into the peppers onto the plates, then place the stuffed peppers on top.

When is the quinoa ready?

The quinoa is ready when it is tender, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes after it is covered and simmered.

How should I use the lime?

Serve the lime wedges on the side and squeeze them over the finished stuffed peppers just before eating.