No-Brainer Low‑Carb Stuffed Peppers

Here, you’ll stuff bell peppers with riced cauliflower (rather than rice) for a lower-carb take on the classic. (But don’t worry: There’s plenty of cheese.) Look for bell peppers that are longer than wide so they’ll stand up in the baking dish. Here’s our hack to prepare the bell peppers. Cut about 1/2 inch off the stem end, thereby removing that stem and opening a “lid” into the pepper. Run a serrated grapefruit spoon (or a paring knife — but take care not to cut the pepper) around the inside to loosen the white, fibrous membranes from the interior walls. Discard all that stuff and you’re ready to stuff the pepper.

Cuisine

Modern

Course

Dinner, Main Course

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

1-2 hours

Diet

Plant-Based, Vegetarian

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Keywords

1-2 hours, 10-ounce can hot or mild red enchilada sauce, 4 1/2-ounce can hot or mild diced green chiles, 4 stuffed peppers, 7-inch- round, american mild or sharp cheddar cheese, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, contributed, cook 70 min, dinner, dried oregano, easy, ground cumin, high-sided, instant pot recipes, instant pot stuffed peppers, large long bell peppers of any color, main course, modern, plant-based, prep 5 min, pressure cook, pressure-safe baking, riced cauliflower, table salt, vegetarian, water

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

70 min

Servings

4 stuffed peppers

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Water
2 cups riced cauliflower
4 ounces American mild or sharp cheddar cheese
1 4 1/2-ounce can hot or mild diced green chiles
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt
4 large long bell peppers of any color
1 10-ounce can hot or mild red enchilada sauce
2 qt 7-inch- round, high-sided, pressure-safe baking

Instructions

Pour the water into the insert set in a 5-, 6-, or 8-quart Instant Pot. Set a pressure-safe rack or trivet in the insert.
Stir the riced cauliflower, cheese, chiles, oregano, cumin, and salt in a large bowl until uniform. Divide this mixture among and pack it evenly into the bell peppers. Stand them up in a 2-quart, 7-inch- round, high-sided, pressure-safe baking or soufflé dish.
Pour the enchilada sauce over and around the peppers. Do not cover. Set the baking dish on the rack and lock the lid on the pot�
For MAX model: Set the Instant Pot for Pressure Cook and set the pressure for MAX. Set the time for 16 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
For other Instant Pot models: Set the Instant Pot for Pressure Cook and set the pressure for High. Set the time for 18 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
When the pot has finished cooking, turn it off and let the pressure return to normal naturally, about 20 minutes. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Use hot pads or silicone baking mitts to transfer the (hot!) baking dish to a nearby wire rack. Cool for a few minutes, then serve the peppers in bowls with the sauce ladled around and over them.

Notes

Other Pots
• For a 3-quart Instant Pot, you must halve almost all of the ingredient amounts except you must use 1 cup water in the insert. You must also use a 1-quart, 6-inch-round, high-sided, pressure-safe baking or soufflé dish.
• For a 10-quart Instant Pot, you must increase the amount of water in the insert to 2 1/2 cups while otherwise completing the recipe as stated.
Beyond
• This recipe yields bell peppers that still need to be cut with a knife. If you want softer bell peppers, cook under pressure for 18 at MAX or 25 at HIGH.
• Garnish with red pepper flakes.

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