Bring a Tex-Mex spin to your table with always delicious, Mexican Stuffed Peppers! Make this ultra-flexible Mexican inspired dish that's easy to adapt to suit different tastes, diets, or whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly coat an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with a nonstick spray.
Remove the stem from the top of each pepper so that its flat with the top of the pepper, cut off the top 1/2 -inch from each bell pepper, and arrange each pepper top cut side down in the prepared baking dish.
Remove the membrane and seeds inside each pepper, place peppers cut side up on top of the pepper top in the baking dish. [1]
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, chicken, chili powder, adobo seasoning, cumin, garlic seasoning blend, salt, and pepper. Cook, occasionally stirring, until the onion is translucent and the chicken is browned and thoroughly cooked about 3-4 minutes. Add the box of diced tomatoes and their juices. Let simmer for 1 minute. Remove the skillet and stir in the rice and half (3/4 cup) of the shredded cheese.
Fill each pepper with the filling mixture, then top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Carefully add about 1/2 cup water into the baking dish around the peppers (you want just enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes until the peppers are tender, and the cheese melts on top.
Remove peppers from the baking dish, arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with more cheese and parsley (or cilantro) with the pepper tops on top. Serve with your favorite toppings in small dishes alongside.
KITCHEN NOTES
[1] If needed, use aluminum foil crunched into small balls to place between the peppers to hold them upright in the casserole dish.To store: Leftover peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.To freeze: Place in a freezer-safe container or freeze in vacuum sealer bags for up to three months.To freeze using vacuum sealer freezer bags, place individual baked cooled peppers in the freezer for approximately 1-2 hours in a covered dish until they become frozen. When firm, place peppers in vacuum sealer bags. Using a vacuum sealer to remove the air from the bag, remove the air from the bag, seal it, and store it in the freezer as usual.Note: Remove frozen peppers from the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.To reheat: Reheat slowly in the microwave or oven. If reheating in the microwave, cut the pepper in half so that the pepper and filling heat evenly.When making ahead: Prepare the peppers and filling as in the instructions above, letting the chicken and rice filling mixture cool completely before filling the peppers. Cover and refrigerate in the baking dish up to 24 hours before baking. Refrigerated peppers may require 5-10 minutes extra baking time.To meal prep: Prepare the chicken and rice filling up to three months in advance and freeze. Thaw in the mixture in the refrigerator the night before you want to bake the stuffed peppers. To assemble, follow steps 1-3 above. Continue with steps 5-7.