#1,528: Taco Stuffed Peppers with Cilantro Cream Sauce

If you have leftover taco meat then this is a snap to throw together. I literally made this in about 5 minutes!  Although this was a bit messy to eat, I really enjoyed this meal and will definitely be making it again.  The cilantro and green onion were fresh from my garden which makes it even better.  This would be great with the peppers diced and served on top of lettuce/spinach/coleslaw mix, etc.  Either as a salad or as is with the peppers this is definitely a simple recipe I will be making again!

The original recipe says to top the stuffed peppers with cheese and roast in the oven...I totally skipped that step.  I was very happy with crunchy, fresh peppers and omitted the cheese.  

1 1b ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
¾ cup water
1-1/2 lbs mini bell peppers (I used regular bell peppers cut into quarters)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I omitted)

Cilantro Cream Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
½ cup fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice

For the Cilantro Cream Sauce: In a food processor, pulse the sour cream, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

For the taco peppers:  Slice ⅓ of the pepper off lengthwise, reserving for later use. Seed the peppers. Peppers naturally have one side that is straighter than the other. When slicing the top of your bell peppers, try to slice the side that is curvier off so that the flat side remaining is the side we are stuffing.

Chop the reserved peppers finely and set aside ¾ cup.

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and reserved ¾ cup chopped peppers over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Cook over medium heat 5-10, stirring occasionally. Let mixture slightly cool.

Fill each pepper as full as possible with the beef mixture and place on a baking sheet.

I omitted this step since I did not cook mine in the oven: Preheat oven to 350 °.Bake peppers for 13-15 minutes.  Remove peppers from oven and top with cheese. Return to the oven for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Top with a dollop of cilantro cream sauce.