Dirty Rice–Stuffed Bell Peppers (baked)
Full recipe — serves 2
Less left over? Make half with half the saved food and half the added ingredients.
AI-generated leftover idea inspired by Mary’s original recipe. This variation has not been tested by Mary.
Ingredients
- Reserve 2 cups cooked One‑Pot Mexican Dirty Rice (meat + rice mixture). leftover One-Pot Mexican Dirty Rice
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 TBSP tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 medium bell peppers (any color)
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a small baking dish with 1 tsp olive oil.
- Trim 2 medium bell peppers: halve lengthwise or cut tops off and remove seeds (your choice). If halving, place cut side up; if whole, stand peppers in dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups reserved dirty rice, 2 TBSP tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp dried oregano and 1/8 tsp black pepper; stir until evenly moistened.
- Spoon the rice mixture into the 2 prepared peppers, packing lightly so each pepper is filled but not overstuffed.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheddar on each filled pepper (total 1/2 cup). Cover dish with foil and bake 20 minutes, until peppers are just tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove foil and bake 5–7 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and slightly golden. Let rest 3 minutes before serving. Serve each person one stuffed pepper (1 pepper = 1 serving).