Stuffed Peppers with Chicken, Black Beans and Spinach

Stuffed Bell Peppers are not a typical go-to for me.   I think it’s because when people ate them when we were younger they tended to have ground beef, rice, and a whole lot of cheese.  Those are not typical ingredients for us, but these days stuffed peppers are done many different ways.  I decided to open my mind to them, mainly because I thought my husband would enjoy them!  (And I had basically all of these ingredients on hand – see my Black Bean Soup recipe from a few days ago)

My recipe is grain-free, gluten-free, and full of good-for-you items.  Well except the cheese, but I’m pretty sure at least a little cheese is a necessity for any version of these. 😉

These can be made ahead, refrigerated, then baked before dinner.  I hope you enjoy!!

• 6 bell peppers (red is best)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 1/2 c spinach, chopped
• 1-2 chicken breasts, cooked (I used some leftover grilled chicken), chopped small or shredded
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 large handful cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 c cheddar, grated
• 3/4 c salsa (I used my stand-by Trader Joe’s Salsa Autentica)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the tops off the bell peppers, and cut out the seeds and membranes inside.  If needed for the peppers to stand up right, slice a little off of the bottoms for a flat surface.

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cooked onion and garlic, the spinach, chicken, black beans, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and salt and pepper.  Then stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese, and the salsa.

Fill each pepper with the mixture.  (I packed each pepper).  Bake for 20-25 minutes, then add the rest of the cheese to the tops of the peppers, and bake another 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Serve with extra salsa, sour cream, and avocado.