Recipe by: Michelle De La Cerda, www.thecompletesavorist.com

Ingredients:

6-8 bell peppers

1 1/2 cup cooked rice; any variety or flavor

1 lb taco meat (or seasoned ground beef)

1 1/2 cup salsa

1-8 oz can tomato sauce; divided

1-15 oz can black beans; rinsed/drained

1 cup corn; frozen or canned

1 1/4 cup cheese, grated (cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack)

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 clove garlic; minced/grated

1/8 tsp salt and pepper; to taste

Tomato Water

1/2 cup water

1/8 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

1/8 salt and pepper; to taste

Big pinch oregano, preferably Mexican

4 oz of divided tomato sauce from above

Instructions:

Cut top off each top of the peppers and scrape out the seeds and veins. Set aside.

Combine the ground beef, corn, rice, salsa, 4 oz of tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper stir until well combined.

Gently fold in the black beans; set aside.

For the Tomato Water: Mix together the water, tomato sauce and all the herbs/spices and pour into the bottom of a baking dish.

Assembly: Arrange the empty bell peppers in a baking dish. Spoon the meat/rice mixture into each bell pepper to the rim.

Cover with foil and place in a 375° F oven and bake for one hour or until the meat is cooked. Turn off oven.

Once cooked, removed foil and sprinkle with cheese, place in the still warm oven to melt, just a couple of minutes.

Spoon some tomato water onto each plate and place a stuffed pepper in the center, serve, and enjoy.