Nutrition Notes

Are Peppers Healthy?

Bell peppers are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. One large bell pepper will give you more than twice the amount of vitamin C you need in a day and over a quarter of your daily vitamin A needs, according to the USDA. The antioxidants in bell peppers have been linked with a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also known to help protect eye health.

Is Cauliflower Good for You?

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, and like other cruciferous veggies (think: broccoli, cabbage and kale), it's a nutritional powerhouse that provides many health benefits. Regularly eating cruciferous vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Including these crunchy veggies in your diet may also keep your arteries flexible and your blood pressure in a healthy range. And if you're watching your carb intake, cauliflower can stand in for higher-carb-containing foods, like white rice.

Is This Recipe Gluten-Free?

Yes! Since this recipe has no gluten-containing ingredients, it is gluten-free.

Tips from the Test Kitchen

What Type of Peppers Should I Use?

You can use green, red, orange or yellow bell peppers for this recipe. Vary the colors if you want to mix things up. Find bell peppers that are all roughly the same size so they cook evenly together. Bell peppers are perfect for stuffing, but poblano peppers and smaller peppers like mini peppers and even hot peppers like jalapeños can be used as well.

What’s the Best Way to Cut Bell Peppers for Stuffing?

You can halve peppers lengthwise and stuff each half, or you can cut the stem ends off the peppers as we do here and stuff them as they sit vertically in the pan. If you choose to do it this way, cutting a small portion off the bottom of the pepper so it sits flat may be helpful. For either method, you will want to remove the seeds before stuffing.

Why Are the Bell Peppers Steamed First?

We precook the peppers in a steamer basket before stuffing them to soften them up. This helps jump-start the cooking process and helps ensure the peppers and the filling are all done cooking at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Prepare Cauliflower Rice-Stuffed Peppers Ahead?

Yes, you can! Prepare the stuffed peppers through Step 5 and refrigerate for up to one day. Bake as directed when you're ready to enjoy them.

Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, M.S., Hilary Meyer and Jan Valdez

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers (about 2 pounds)
2 cups small cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Pinch of salt plus 1/2 teaspoon, divided
Pinch of ground pepper plus 1/4 teaspoon, divided
½ cup chopped onion
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Slice off the stem ends of bell peppers. Cut the flesh from the stem and chop. You should have about 1 cup. Scoop out seeds from the pepper cavities. Bring about an inch of water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Steam the peppers until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove the peppers from the pot and set aside.

Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Food Stylist:Chelsea Zimmer
Pulse cauliflower in a food processor until broken down into rice-size pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower rice and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
Wipe out the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the chopped bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add beef, garlic, oregano and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon just until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and the cauliflower rice; stir to coat.

Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Food Stylist:Chelsea Zimmer
Place the peppers upright in an 8-inch square baking dish. Fill each pepper with a generous 1 cup of the cauliflower rice mixture. Top each pepper with 2 tablespoons cheese.

Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Food Stylist:Chelsea Zimmer
Bake until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes.

Equipment

Food processor, large skillet, 8-inch square baking dish

Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, May 2018

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

374	Calories
22g	Fat
17g	Carbs
29g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Serving Size 1 stuffed pepper
Calories 374
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 17g	6%
Dietary Fiber 4g	13%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 29g	59%
Total Fat 22g	28%
Saturated Fat 7g	36%
Cholesterol 83mg	28%
Vitamin A 621IU	12%
Vitamin C 250mg	278%
Folate 81mcg	20%
Sodium 522mg	23%
Calcium 155mg	12%
Iron 4mg	22%
Magnesium 60mg	14%
Potassium 1011mg	22%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.