Chicken Taco Stuffed Peppers

Another day, another taco-inspired recipe. This time around, we're stuffing bell peppers with a fantastic chicken, rice, and black bean mixture that's delicious and nutritious. Invest a few minutes of prep time and relax or assemble some simple sides while it bakes. Either way, dinner can be on the table in under an hour.

As is often the case, this recipe is very tweakable. Not fond of stuffed peppers? Nix the peppers and bake the rice mixture in the casserole dish. If you do that, I'd recommend increasing the vegetable add ins with chopped onions and topping it all with fresh chopped tomatoes and diced avocado. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from doing that even if you are stuffing peppers too. If you want to make this dish vegetarian, leave out the chicken and consider doubling the black beans or using a combination of black and pinto beans. I like adding a can of fire-roasted tomatoes too (or fresh tomatoes if you have access to great tomatoes this time of the year), but I am also always looking for more ways to include more vegetables in my dishes. I used brown rice in this recipe, but you can use whichever rice you have on hand, favor, or even opt to use a different grain line farro or wheat berries.

This meal is complete and you can just enjoy it with your favorite beverage, but chips and salsa or guacamole are lovely accompaniments too. I'd say slices of watermelon sprinkled with cayenne pepper and lime zest would also work, but I'm personally several months away from having access to locally grown melons. If you are not in the same boat, enjoy and I envy you!