Whole30 Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

As seen on Day 6 of our Whole30 Challenge, these stuffed peppers are a Whole30 twist on my standard Southwestern Stuffed Peppers that I usually make with brown rice, cheese, and beans. See my original (non-Whole30) recipe HERE. To make the peppers compliant, I just omitted these three ingredients. You can also drizzle them with a little Frank's Red Hot Sauce to give them a little more kick.

TASTE TEST: I still prefer my standard version better (with the rice, beans, and cheesey goodness), but for a healthy Whole30 alternative, these hit the spot.

Whole30 Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 bell peppers

• 1 lb ground meat (I used ground bison, but ground turkey or beef will work too)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or avocado oil)

• 1/2 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup of green onions, chopped (save a few for garnish)

• 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped

• 1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves, whole or chopped

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

• Bibb lettuce leaves (to serve peppers)

STEPS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Place non-stick aluminum foil on baking sheet (to minimize future cleanup).

3. Wash the peppers and remove seeds and inner fleshy part. Slice peppers in half and place on foil/baking sheet.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté over medium.

5. Add the meat to the onions/garlic and start browning meat.

6. After meat is cooked, add seasonings (cumin, paprika, chill powder, salt, pepper).

7. Add tomatoes, green onions, and spinach leaves to meat/onions in pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

8. Remove from heat and add cilantro to mixture. Combine all ingredients well.

9. Scoop mixture into pepper halves.

10. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on your desired liking of pepper doneness.

11. Garnish with remaining chopped green onions and serve over Bibb lettuce leaves.

TIPS:

• Make extra peppers to reheat or freeze for later.

• You can also slice the tops off of the peppers to present them differently, just remove the seeds and fleshy inner part.