Stuffed Bell Peppers with Spicy Corn and Black Beans

---

Serves 4

Cooking Time 4 to 5 hours on Low or 3 to 4 hours on High

Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Creating an easy stuffed pepper recipe in the slow cooker required some tinkering since, in our experience, even traditional versions can suffer from bland fillings and mushy peppers. For a flavor-packed filling, we microwaved our aromatics, then stirred in canned black beans, corn, shredded Monterey Jack, and cooked rice for heartiness. A surprise ingredient—jarred salsa—helped bind the filling and infused it with more flavor. We discovered that just a little bit of water, added to the base of the slow cooker, steamed our stuffed bell peppers to the perfect crisp-tender texture. To finish, we topped the stuffed peppers with more cheese and minced cilantro. Choose peppers with flat bottoms so that they stay upright in the slow cooker. Feel free to use leftover rice or store-bought precooked rice; click here for more information. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

4	(6-ounce) red, orange, or yellow bell peppers
1	cup chopped onion
1	tablespoon olive oil
1	tablespoon minced garlic
1½	cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1	(15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1	cup cooked rice
1	cup frozen corn
1	cup jarred tomato salsa
2	tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
½	teaspoon salt
¼	teaspoon pepper

1. Trim ½ inch off top of each pepper, then remove core and seeds. Finely chop pepper tops, discarding stems. Microwave pepper tops, onion, oil, and garlic in large bowl, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup Monterey Jack, beans, rice, corn, salsa, 1 tablespoon cilantro, salt, and pepper. Pack filling evenly into cored peppers.

2. Pour ⅓ cup water into slow cooker. Place stuffed peppers upright in slow cooker. Cover and cook until peppers are tender, 4 to 5 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.

3. Sprinkle peppers evenly with remaining ½ cup Monterey Jack, cover, and cook until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Using tongs and slotted spoon, transfer peppers to serving dish; discard cooking liquid. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro and serve.