Southwest-style Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers are spiced up with chili peppers and cumin. To pack some extra punch, use 1 or 2 chopped fresh jalapeno peppers instead of the mild green chili peppers.

Ingredients

2 large green or red sweet peppers
8 ounces lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 14 1/2-ounce can of tomatoes, undrained and cut up
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup long grain rice

Instructions

Halve sweet peppers lengthwise, removing stem ends, seeds, and membranes. Immerse sweet peppers into boiling water for 3 minutes. Invert on paper towels to drain well.

In a large skillet cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat.

Stir in undrained tomatoes, water, uncooked rice, chili peppers, chili powder, garlic salt, and cumin. Bring to boiling. Stir in corn. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 to 18 minutes or until rice and corn are tender.

Place pepper halves in a 2-quart square baking dish. Spoon meat mixture into peppers. Spoon any remaining meat mixture into the dish around the peppers. Bake peppers, covered, in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Bake 2 minutes more.

Notes

Makes 4 servings

For extra ZIP double the spices and serve with salsa

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 meats