Chili Bean-Stuffed Peppers
(left) Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 6 to 61∕ 2 hours (low)
or 3 to 31∕ 2 hours (high) | Makes 4 servings
Serving size: 1 stuffed pepper
4 small to medium green, red, or yellow sweet peppers
1 cup cooked converted rice
1 15-ounce can chili beans with chili gravy
1 15-ounce can or two 8-ounce cans no-salt-added
tomato sauce
1∕ 3 cup finely chopped onion
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded ( 3∕ 4 cup)
1. Remove tops, membranes, and seeds from sweet
peppers. Chop enough tops to make 1∕ 3 cup; set aside. If
necessary, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pepper
so they sit flat. In a medium bowl, stir together rice and
undrained beans; spoon into peppers. Pour tomato sauce
into the bottom of a 41∕2- to 6-quart slow cooker; stir in
reserved chopped pepper and onion. Place peppers, filled sides
up, in cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting 6 to 61∕ 2 hours or on
high-heat setting 3 to 31∕ 2 hours.
3. To serve, transfer peppers to serving plate and cut in
half, if desired. Spoon tomato sauce over peppers and sprinkle
with cheese.
Per pepper: 283 cal., 8 g total fat ( 4 g sat. fat), 19 mg chol.,
407 mg sodium, 40 g carb., 9 g fiber, 15 g pro.
Recipes continued on page 107
Cooking tips:
• No matter what size slow cooker you’re using, results
will be best when the cooker is filled between half and
two-thirds full.
• Keep the lid on. Stir only if the recipe specifies it;
otherwise, you will be quickly and significantly dropping
the temperature inside.
• Cut the fat from meats. Not only will this save fat and
calories, it will also produce better finished texture.
• Avoid unappealing curdling by adding dairy ingredients
during the last 15 to 30 minutes of cooking.
• Allow all ingredients to finish cooking at the same time
Slow cooker know-how
by cutting ingredients, such as vegetables that take
longer to cook, into small, uniform pieces. Or put
these ingredients around the sides and on the bottom
of the cooker, closer to the heat source.
Cleaning tips:
• If your slow cooker doesn’t have a removable liner, use
disposable cooking bags to make cleanup a breeze.
• Always unplug your cooker before cleaning and never
immerse it in water.
• Avoid cracking by letting the cooker cool completely
before cleaning.
HeartHealthyOnline.com
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FYI
Although it’s not a necessary step, browning meat and poultry before placing them in the slow
cooker can add flavor and color not provided by slow cooking.
