Cheesy Tex-Mex Taco Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 medium bell peppers (any colors), stemmed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 (1 1/4-ounce) envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning
• 1 (10-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to broil with rack about 6 inches from heat source. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds and membranes. Toss the halved peppers, salt and 1 tablespoon oil together in a large bowl. Arrange the peppers, cut-side down, in a 9-by-13-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Broil until the peppers are lightly charred in spots and beginning to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside until ready to use.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 400. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add ground beef and taco seasoning; cook, crumbling the meat with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn and water; cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Flip the pepper halves in the baking dish to face cut-side up. Divide the beef mixture evenly among the pepper halves (about 3/4 cup each), packing the mixture and mounding it slightly. Bake until the beef mixture starts to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro, if desired. Recipe developed by Jasmine Smith