Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are such a fun meal!  The peppers make such a cute, edible dish just waiting to serve up the yummy filling in it.  There are so many different things you can stuff them with and this chicken fajita mix is fabulous!  This filling is so great in fact, that I love to use it for other things as well.  It makes a great filling for tacos and burritos and even works as a stand alone side dish.  As is, the seasonings combine to make a wonderful flavor.  I like to keep my foods pretty mild but you could easily spice it up by adding in some hot sauce and jalapenos.  Be creative and make this pepper yours!

Ingredients
6 medium bell peppers, any color
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb chicken, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2/3 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400.  Wash peppers, cut the tops off and remove all seeds.  Place open side down, on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes.  While peppers are baking, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until golden about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer, transfer onion mixture to a plate. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil skillet, and add chicken, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, the paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomatoes, onion mixture, black beans, corn, cooked brown rice, remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin cumin, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook just until heated through.  When peppers are done, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375.  Generously fill each pepper with rice mixture and sprinkle tops evenly with cheese.  Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Serve warm, topped with more cilantro, sour cream and hot sauce if desired.

As a Freezer Meal
You can do this one of two ways, depending on how crisp you like your pepper.  You can prepare everything as directed.  Carefully place filled peppers in gallon sized, freezer ziploc bags or a baking dish (foil pans work great for the freezer!).  If using a pan, cover tightly with two or three layers of plastic wrap and then foil.  When ready to use, thaw, remove plastic and foil and bake at 375, until heated through, 10-15 minutes.  Freezing it in the pepper will result in a softer pepper after you bake it.  If you like your pepper a little crisper, prepare the chicken and rice filling according to the directions, store in a gallon sized, freezer ziploc bag.  When you're ready to use it, thaw the rice mixture and then stuff a fresh pepper, prepared according to the directions above, and proceed to bake as directed.

Source:  Cooking Classy