Mexican Stuffed Peppers for 2

Ingredients

One package of tri-colored peppers (I chose red, yellow, and orange)

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion

1 taco seasoning mix packet

1 package of stove-top mexican style rice (I used a fajita flavored kind)

1 small can of refried beans (about 1/2 cup is needed)

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese (plus a handful extra to sprinkle on top)

Desired toppings (sour cream, salsa, etc...)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven for 375*. Prep your peppers by cutting out the stem and seeds, making a whole in the top. Next, you are going to blanch them by putting them into a pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Run them under cold water when they are done and set them aside temporarily. While you have your knife out, you can also chop your onion into small pieces and set this aside as well. Cry accordingly (the onions get me every time).

2. Get that rice going! The rice packet I bought took 7 minutes to cook on the stovetop, so follow the directions on the package and let that cook while you continue on with the next step.

3. Brown your meat on the stove. Follow the directions on the taco seasoning packet, draining the meat and adding water and the seasoning packet. At this time, also add in your onions, refried beans, and shredded cheese, mixing everything together until blended well (it looks grosser than it's going to taste, I promise!)

4. Once your meat and rice are both ready, combine them into one pot or bowl. Mix them together.

5. Set your peppers upright in a baking dish. Scoop your meat and rice mixture into each pepper, overflowing if needed (you may have extra filling, if this is the case, feel free to use an additional pepper or just scoop the extra filling into the bottom of the dish to add to your plates). Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the pan to help add moisture during the baking process. Cover the baking dish with either a lid or aluminum foil.

6. Cook peppers in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven, take off lid, and sprinkle cheese on top of each pepper. Place back in oven for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.