Time for a little balancing the buttercream because it’s been way too long! And because these skinny “nachos” are everything! My go-to taco filling served up in little bell peppers, topped with avocado and cheese – yes, please! Can we also talk about how they look like a party waiting to happen? I can’t even handle it!
So I love Mexican food, like I can probably be lured into almost anything with Mexican food and margaritas. We all have our weaknesses, okay. If you’ve been reading for a while, you already know I’m hopelessly devoted to my Skinny Taco Cups!
I wanted to take it a step further with nachos, and girl’s night was the perfect time to try my new idea out! I whipped up my go-to taco filling and stuffed it in some bell peppers, aka “chips.” You guys, I can’t even tell you how much of a hit these were. First off, they’re cute and super colorful. More importantly, they’re packed with flavor and super easy to make.
And I’m pretty sure eliminating the chips means we can eat more cake, right? I can justify anything.
Please be aware that I give you a full recipe for the filling below, but I only used half of it to make these. It’s much easier to make a regular size batch and then use the rest of it to top salads for lunch or do a taco night! I also planned one bell pepper per person and each pepper was cut into 4 or 5 pieces. When you are getting the peppers, get the regular size ones, just try to get the smallest ones.
Okay, so you scoop your filling in there. Some will fall over, that’s okay – they will all taste amazing! Next, I topped them with a little diced avocado. You can serve them with guacamole instead of adding the diced avocado, but I went this route because it’s great for portion control and it’s much easier when you’re making these for a party.
Top them with cheese, pop them in the oven and in about 10 minutes you’ll be looking at this!
They’re so satisfying and because you only bake them for a short time, the peppers still have that crunch so you’re not missing a thing! Garnish them with a little cilantro if you like, a few scallions sprinkled on top would look pretty too, and enjoy!
Needless to say, these were a big hit the other night! I love how you can adjust the filling to suit your tastes and you can even make the filling a day ahead and then all you have to do is bake them! And how fantastic are these for holiday parties!
Ingredients
- 1 package ground turkey (usually around 1.3lbs.)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cups salsa, divided
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup corn, optional
- 4 bell peppers, try to get ones on the smaller side
- 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese
- 1/2 avocado
- cilantro for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add ground turkey to preheated pan and brown over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Make sure to break up the meat as it cooks.
- Add in diced onion and garlic and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, and cumin.
- Stir in 1/2 cup salsa and chicken broth. Turn heat down to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add black beans and corn until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- At this point, transfer half the filling to a container and refrigerate one it comes to room temperature. You will only need half the filling for this recipe.
- Cut peppers into 4 pieces each. I recommend cutting down from the corners so you have a little pocket for the filling. Set peppers on the prepared pan.
- Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of salsa to the taco filling.
- Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning. This is the time to add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Spoon the filling into the peppers.
- Finely dice 1/2 the avocado and place a few pieces on top of the filled peppers.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the peppers and bake for about 10 minutes until the cheese is completely melted.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Notes
It's really important to taste the filling before you fill the peppers as this is the only time you will have to adjust the seasoning. Remember the peppers don't have any seasoning so don't be stingy when adjusting the filling.
You can leave out the avocado and serve these with a side of guacamole instead, but I love this for portion control.
These are also great topped with a little light sour cream!
The filling can be made a day ahead of time. Be aware that if you make it ahead, you may need to add a little extra salsa to it before filling the peppers.
You can broil these to get that bubbled look, but I find that the filling stays a lot juicier when you bake them for 10 minutes.
Laura says
Hola Meghan, siempre veo tus recetas, mmmmm, que delicias!!!!!!!!!!
bblondie says
Hola Laura! Thanks so much!
mary says
Meg, these are SUPER-GORGEOUS!!!
bblondie says
Thank you! 🙂
Liz says
These would be a wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving menu…I definitely need to add some healthy fare!
bblondie says
I know all about that, girl!
Patricia says
Why didn’t I think of this!? Great idea. I’m trying to cut down on carbs due to a higher than desired blood sugar and still find a tasty snack. This one will do the trick while making me feel like I’m not deprived. Thanks!
bblondie says
Thanks, Patricia! Hope you enjoy them!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Totally my kind of nacho recipe! Yum!!