Baked Chili Mac Stuffed Peppers (Printable version)

Bell peppers stuffed with protein-packed chili mac and melted cheddar for a satisfying weeknight meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Peppers

01 - 4 large bell peppers, any color, tops removed and seeds cleared

→ Pasta

02 - 3/4 cup elbow macaroni, whole wheat or regular

→ Chili Mixture

03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/2 pound lean ground beef or turkey
07 - 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
09 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
10 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Cheese

15 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

→ Garnish

16 - Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
17 - Sliced green onions, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to accommodate peppers in an upright position.
02 - Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook elbow macaroni 1-2 minutes under package directions to achieve al dente texture. Drain and reserve.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté until softened, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
04 - Add ground beef or turkey to skillet and cook, breaking into crumbles with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in black beans, diced tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in cooked macaroni and half the cheddar cheese (1/2 cup) until evenly incorporated.
07 - Arrange prepared bell peppers upright in the prepared baking dish. Spoon chili mac mixture evenly into each pepper, pressing gently to ensure thorough filling.
08 - Distribute remaining cheddar cheese evenly over the top of each filled pepper.
09 - Pour 1/4 cup water into the bottom of baking dish. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil.
10 - Bake for 30 minutes covered until peppers begin to soften.
11 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until peppers are tender and cheese achieves golden color.
12 - Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh cilantro and sliced green onions if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's basically three comfort dishes having a party inside one pepper—chili, mac and cheese, and roasted vegetables all at once.
  • Your kitchen will smell incredible for hours, and there's something deeply satisfying about filling those hollow pepper boats.
  • One dish, big flavor, 28 grams of protein per serving, and it somehow feels fancy enough for guests but casual enough for Tuesday.
02 -
  • The water in the baking dish is non-negotiable if you don't want your pepper bottoms to stick and char—I learned this the hard way and spent twenty minutes scrubbing a baking dish instead of enjoying my dinner.
  • Undercooking the pasta by just a minute or two makes a huge difference because it continues cooking when the filling goes into the oven and it shouldn't turn mushy and oversoft.
03 -
  • Brown your meat thoroughly and cook your onion until genuinely softened before moving to the next step—this builds layers of flavor that make the whole filling taste deeper and more developed.
  • Taste the filling before you fill the peppers and adjust the seasoning then, because once it's baked you can't easily go back and fix it if it needs more salt or spice.
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