Stuffed Banana Pepper Boats

Saute chopped onion in a skillet over medium heat until translucent. Add the chipotle into the onion and cook for one minute. Add the can of black beans (drained but not rinsed). I wanted to keep some of the starchiness so that the filling wouldn’t be too lose. Cook for 2 minutes before adding the can of corn. Add the diced tomato to the mix. Again, I didn’t want to the filling to be too runny so I scooped the tomatoes out of their juices before adding. Some tomato water is perfectly fine and the rice will help absorb any extra liquid.

Check seasoning and add salt and pepper. Lastly, add the cooked rice. I used day old rice, but you can make it fresh for this recipe if you like (make it before you start the filling so you aren’t waiting). Combine everything well and turn off the heat.

To prepare the banana peppers for the filling, cut off the tops and slice down the length of one side, being careful to keep the pepper intact. Remove the seeds and ribs to create maximum space for stuffing.

Preheat oven to 350 F and get a walled ceramic baking tray ready. Now begin stuffing! Make sure to get some filling all the way to the point of each pepper. Lay each pepper in the tray, alternating skinny to fat ends. Pop dish in the hot oven for 30 minutes and they will be perfect! The top layer of the stuffing will have a little crunch and the peppers will be nice and soft. Serve with a small side, like plantain chips and a fresh squeeze of lime.