Easy Healthy Stuffed Peppers
A colorful, nutrient-dense dinner that looks impressive but takes almost no effort — built on the sloppy Joe filling my readers already love.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers red, red, orange, or yellow (avoid green — more bitter, less ripe)
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef grass-fed or open-range
- 1 16 oz bag coleslaw mix
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 4–5 fresh tomatoes diced, or one 16-oz can
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Himalayan pink salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the tops off the bell peppers (or halve them lengthwise) and remove the seeds and membranes.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add the chopped onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Add the entire bag of coleslaw mix and stir to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes until the cabbage begins to soften.
- Add the diced tomatoes, maple syrup, mustard powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together and simmer for 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
- Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish and fill each one generously with the meat mixture, packing it in and mounding it on top.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through and lightly browned on top.
Notes
Filling swap: This is the same filling I use for my healthy sloppy Joe recipe — make a double batch and use half for peppers, half for sloppy Joes, sweet potatoes, or cauliflower rice.
Pepper color: Red peppers are the sweetest and most nutrient-dense choice. Avoid green peppers if you find them bitter.
Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted for the beef if you prefer poultry.
Leftovers: Keep in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. The filling also freezes well on its own.