Meatless Monday: Cheesy Stuffed Peppers

You're going to be blissfully stuffed after you try this week's Meatless Monday recipe - Cheesy Stuffed Peppers! The bell peppers are roasted then stuffed with spiced lentils cooked with fire roasted tomatoes and corn then topped off with melted, dripping cheese.

Lentils are my go-to substitute for ground beef. In this recipe, I cook up onion, garlic, jalapeno, corn and extra bell pepper in smoked paprika, chili powder and cumin. Then the lentils get added along with diced fire roasted tomatoes and some water. All those flavors will develop as the lentils simmer to tender. Cheese and black beans get stirred in at the end for extra flavor and heartiness. The roasted pepper halves then get stuffed with the filling, topped with cheese and placed back in the oven for the cheese to melt. Sounds great, right?

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Ingredients

• 4 red bell peppers, sliced in half vertically and seeds removed

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, separated

• 1 medium red onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and minced

• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

• 1 cup corn (I used frozen)

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed

• 14.5 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

• 3 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated and separated

• Cilantro (optional, for topping)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Add one tablespoon olive oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic and jalapeno. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent - about 4 - 5 minutes. Add in the corn and yellow pepper and cook for an additional 3 minutes

Add the spices and salt and cook until fragrant - about 1 minute

Add the lentils, tomatoes and water to the pot and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium low and cover. Cook until the lentils are tender and little liquid is remaining - about 35 minutes. If the lentils are not tender and the liquid is running low, add more water.

While the lentils are cooking, pour 1 tablespoon olive oil over both sides of all the peppers. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes until tender

When the lentils are done cooking, add 1 cup of cheese and the black beans to the mixture and stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to taste

Add the filling to each cooked pepper half and top with 1/4 cup cheese

Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted

Top with roughly chopped cilantro if desired