Recipe of the Month: Shrimp Stuffed Bell Peppers

Are you looking for a way to add more seafood to your diet? Try this Louisiana twist on stuffed bell peppers by using shrimp instead of ground beef. Add riced cauliflower and finely diced mushrooms to the stuffing to pack even more vitamins and nutrients into this flavorful, low-calorie dish. For more information about healthy eating and active living, contact your local LSU AgCenter nutrition & community health agent.

Serves: 8 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 medium to large green bell peppers
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
• 1/2 pound Louisiana shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut in half
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 2 teaspoons no-salt Creole seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2/3 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Chop 1 bell pepper and set aside for later. Cut the tops off the remaining 4 bell peppers, remove the seeds and cut each pepper in half lengthwise. Cook bell pepper halves in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Remove them from the water and drain.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside for later.
4. Using a 10-inch skillet, sauté the chopped bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic in oil until they are soft. Add shrimp and continue cooking until the shrimp start to turn pink.
5. In a large bowl, mix the sauteed shrimp and vegetables, rice, no-salt Creole seasoning and salt.
6. Place the pepper halves in the baking dish. Spoon the shrimp and rice mixture evenly into each half. Sprinkle tops of each with seasoned breadcrumbs.
7. Bake the stuffed peppers for 20 minutes.
8. Top with cheese and parsley. Bake for another 2-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.