Stuff This Iconic Dish With Canned Chili For An Easier Weeknight Meal

If you've ever made (or even just eaten) stuffed peppers, you know how great they can be. The iconic appearance, the rich combination of flavors, and the opportunity to customize the stuffing options make this dish a hit for good reason. The only downside is that making stuffed peppers can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. It doesn't have to be, though. Using canned chili as a stuffed pepper filling makes the dish faster and easier to prepare, while still leaving you with a tasty, satisfying, appealing dinner.

Bell peppers stuffed with canned chili isn't a totally effortless meal, but it does save you a lot of time. You will need to prepare the peppers themselves by cutting off the tops and removing the seeds. Remember, red and yellow peppers are sweeter than green peppers, and which you'll want to use is a question of personal preference. Add the chili, and take care not to overfill the peppers, as this can cause them to spill during the cooking process. You will also need to decide how you're going to cook the peppers; while stuffed peppers baked in the oven are a common recipe, you can also use an air fryer.

What if you like the sound of canned chili stuffed peppers, but you're a vegetarian? No need to worry — there are many brands and varieties of vegetarian canned chili that will work well for the recipe. You can even amp up your chili with canned creamed corn before stuffing the peppers for more flavor and a creamier texture. If you like a bit of a kick in your chili-stuffed peppers, add some additional spice with Tabasco sauce or sriracha, or give this easy weeknight dinner a Mexican-inspired lift with the addition of enchilada sauce.

You might also want to top the chili-stuffed peppers with another ingredient. Sprinkling panko breadcrumbs on top before they're cooked can give them a light, crisp exterior. On the other hand, a layer of shredded cheese can add richness and tang. Or, after the peppers are cooked, pimento cheese makes a perfectly creamy chili topper. Not only will the cool, creamy spread contrast nicely with the hot, savory chili, but the pimento peppers in the cheese will complement the bell peppers used as the dish's base.