Stuffed Peppers For One

• servings: 1 serving
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 bell pepper (use green, red, yellow, or orange)

½ tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup chopped onions

1 clove garlic (-minced)

5 ounces lean ground beef

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 small tomato (-chopped)

½ cup chopped fresh spinach

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Trim the pepper: Cut ¼-inch from the stem end of the bell pepper to remove the top of the pepper. Remove the seeds and membrane; rinse the inside of the pepper and slice in half, lengthwise.

Blanch the pepper: Fill a 2-quart pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Immerse both halves of the pepper into the boiling water for 3 minutes. Carefully remove the peppers from the hot water and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle the insides with ⅛ of a teaspoon of salt and invert on the towel to drain.

Make the stuffing: Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook stirring occasionally for 30 seconds more.

Add the ground beef, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook until browned, about 3 minutes.

Stir in chopped tomatoes and spinach and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the cheese.

Fill the pepper cavities with the meat mixture. Place the peppers in a lightly greased baking dish. Top with remaining cheese, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. If the cheese has not fully melted after baking, remove the foil and place the peppers back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.Enjoy warm.

Nutrition

• Calories: 550 kcal
• Total Fat: 34 g
• Saturated Fat: 15 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 144 mg
• Sodium: 991 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 17 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Total Sugars: 9 g
• Protein: 46 g