Chili Cheese Stuffed Peppers, simple

These Chili Cheese Stuffed Peppers are brimming with savory and cheesy goodness with a punch of heat! Bell peppers are loaded with flavorful kitchen-made beef chili, topped with melty cheese and baked until tender and soft-centered! It is eye-catching, savory, and simple to mix- what more can you ask for?

Stuffed Veggies for the Win!

We love stuffed veggies!

We think it is a great way to add lighter vegetables into our daily meals in a more subtle, not-on-your-face way. Take our Thai Basil Beef Stuffed Zucchini and Baked Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Artichokes for example. Instead of feeding our Charlie zucchini and artichokes only, we cleverly stuff them with meat and other spices to keep her distracted. And mind you, it works for adults who are not so fond of veggies too! This Simple Chili Cheese Stuffed Pepper recipe is our newest addition to the “sneak-the-veggies” collection. We love the combination of sweet peppers, chili beef, and savory cheese in every bite! We used red, green, or orange bell peppers to make it even more enticing.

What You Need to Make Chili Cheese Stuffed Peppers?

This may look like a long list, but only cause we made the chili from scratch. If you have leftover chili, or if you do not mind using canned chili, you can cut down the number of ingredients to three! Here’s what you need:

• Ground beef- Use at least 70% lean beef to keep your chili stuffing from becoming too greasy. You can also use ground pork, sausage, chicken, or turkey as alternatives.
• Spiced chili beans- use any brand you prefer. We like using canned spiced beans because they instantly add flavor to the dish. However, feel free to use plain beans like pinto or kidney beans.
• Vegetables- we used garlic, onion, green pepper, and stewed whole tomatoes to make this classic chili.
• Spices- you will need chili powder, celery seed, paprika, and ground cumin to achieve that warm and zesty chili flavor!
• Chicken stock- you can also use water but using stocks makes the chili even more flavorful!
• Bell peppers- select large ones in red, green, or orange colors. They should be big enough for stuffing once you remove the seeds from the cavity.
• Cheddar cheese- melts to savory perfection! You can also use mozzarella or Monterey Jack.
• Olive oil- for sautéing.
• Kosher salt and ground pepper- to taste.

Possible Variations

• Make it a fully loaded meal by stuffing them with rice, quinoa, or other grains. Fill the bell peppers halfway, then add the chili and top with cheese before baking.
• Make it vegan by omitting ground beef, or replacing it with chopped mushrooms. Use vegetable stock and vegan cheese instead.
• Make it less fiery by omitting the chili powder and replacing the spiced chili beans with regular beans instead. It would still be savory!

Tips When Making Chili Cheese Stuffed Peppers

• When selecting the bell peppers, make sure that the bottoms are even so they do not topple over in the oven. In case you cannot find any, just trim the bottoms until they can stand upright.
• If you like to retain the crispiness of the bell peppers, reduce the baking time. However, take note that they tend to be sweeter the longer they are baked.
• Do not over bake your stuffed peppers or they will become mushy and soggy.
• You can also cut the pepper in half so you can make more servings!
• Load your stuff peppers up with toppings and garnishes like sour cream, parsley, chives, avocados, or pickled onions.