Mexican Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup rice
• 4 bell peppers, I use a combo of green bell & poblano
• 1 lb cooked ground beef
• 1 (28 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ground black pepper
• jalapeno pepper, minced, to taste (optional)
• 2 cups monterey jack pepper cheese (or a combination) or 2 cups cheddar cheese (or a combination)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Saute onion & garlic in oil over medium heat until softened.
3. Boil rice in salted water until just soft. Drain.
4. Halve peppers & remove seeds. Place in 9x13“ baking dish, insides up.
5. In a large bowl, combine well the cooked ground beef (or defrosted soy crumbles), sauteed onions & garlic, cooked rice, rinsed & drained black beans, undrained can of diced tomatoes, oregano, salt, cumin, pepper & jalapenos, if using.
6. Pour ‘filling’ mixture over peppers, top with cheese & bake until hot & bubbly, about 30 minutes.
7. Enjoy!