Instant Pot Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I think I’ve settled into a bit of a routine around grocery shopping. For someone who prefers to wander through the grocery store looking for food that looks freshest and sparks inspiration, this has been a long road. Before we had kids, our food budget was more fluid and our shopping list (if you can even call it that) was always flexible. Now, with 7 and 4 year olds running the roost, I have to be more intentional. So, we’ve been using the same list of ingredients in different ways. The kids both love bell peppers, 3 out of 4 of us eat ground beef, and we all love tacos. So consider these Southwest Stuffed Peppers a creative alternative for taco night!

It isn’t always easy to make food everyone will eat, but here, I have been able to take recipe like this one and use the same components to piece together something our pickiest eater won’t scoff at. Does he always eat what I give him? Um, no. But at least he gets a selection of healthy foods to choose from.

Other perks of this recipe:

• gluten free

• Whole 30 (as long as you leave out the cheese and have a compliant salsa/seasoning blend)

• made in under 30 minutes

• minimal dirty dishes

I mean, this is basically my dream weeknight meal. And if you’re looking for the best, meltiest cheese, you know I’m going to tell you that Tillamook is the best choice.

Instant Pot Southwest Stuffed Peppers

Makes 4 servings plus leftovers

• 4 medium/large bell peppers

• 1 lb lean ground beef

• 1/2 cup salsa + 2 tablespoons

• 2 teaspoons Penzy’s Southwest Seasoning or other salted seasoning you like

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1/2 cup frozen corn

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch

• 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

1. Cut the tops off your peppers and clean out the insides. I like to use my hands to pull out the membrane and seeds. Set the tops aside (I cut them so I have some raw pepper on hand for the kiddos throughout the week).

2. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, 1/4 cup of the salsa, Southwest seasoning, egg, and cornstarch. Use your hands to combine.

3. Fill each pepper with 1/4 of the beef mixture. Add 1/2 cup water to the Instant Pot and set the rack inside. Set the peppers in the instant pot, on the rack, top spoon the remaining salsa evenly over the top of each pepper, and seal the lid. Press the Manual button and set the time for 20 minutes.

4. When finished cooking, do a quick release by using a towel or oven mit to rotate the knob to release. Top the peppers with the cheese, cover for 5 minutes, and serve!