Ready for a break from zucchini?  I have to admit, even though the recipes make it seem like I’m in zucchini overload this week, the variety of the recipes keep me from getting sick of the squash.

That being said, it’s always nice to try something different. I hesitate to call these TexMex stuffed peppers, but that was my “flavor inspiration”, as corny as it sounds. Prefer Mediterranean flavors? Cajun flavors? The base ingredients (peppers, rice ground beef) would go well with a whole range of different seasoning; swap in whatever you prefer!

Start by cooking 1 cup of rice. While that is going, cut the top off 4 green bell peppers and remove all the seeds and as much of the membrane as possible, reserving the meaty part of the top (i.e., not the stems).

Hollowed out peppers, ready for stuffing!

Dice reserved pepper and cook until soft in a skillet with a diced onion.

Add ground beef and brown.

Meanwhile, parboil peppers for a couple of minutes.  My pot was small so I had to do one or two at a time.

To the ground beef, add 2 tablespoons of your preferred seasoning. I used taco seasoning.

Add rice to the ground beef and mix well so rice is distributed in the mixture.

Fill peppers with meat and rice mixture and set upright in a baking dish. Add water to the dish so it comes about 1 inch up the side of the peppers. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.

Take peppers out of the oven, top with cheese of your choice (I used a shredded Mexican blend), and return to bake 10 more minutes.

In a hurry? Make the meat mixture ahead of time and bring to room temperature before stuffing the peppers!

Stuffed Peppers, adapted from Emeril Lagasse’s Mr. John’s Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers