Chili Cheese Grilled and Stuffed Bell Peppers

This post is sponsored by VELVEETA® . All opinions are my own.

At the beginning of the month we made it official and furnished our backyard. We’ve been spending so much of our time outside, whether gardening or grilling, so why not make it as comfortable as possible? Since then we find ourselves gravitating to our backyard more often. Whether it’s in the mornings to enjoy our morning coffee or in the evenings after dinner just to get some fresh air. We’ve also been grilling a lot more often than past summers, but nobody is complaining! We keep the house cool, get fresh air, and no need to turn on the oven. I’d call that a win/win!

When we are entertaining, one of my favorite dips to serve is a combination of VELVEETA® and some good chili. It’s the perfect dip with tortilla chips and you can find all my guests by the dip every time. I decided why not mash up my favorite dip with one of my husband’s favorite meals and create a recipe for chili cheese grilled and stuffed bell peppers? And since we are smack dab in the middle of grilling season, why not throw them on the grill instead of heating up my kitchen with the stove? It was brilliant! It had all the flavors we love without being weird and overpowering. There was chili and cheese. There was chicken, broccoli and bell peppers and there were beans and rice. Delicious!

I love to make my stuffed peppers with those rice pouch mixes; it’s just so easy and quick to put together. For this one, I used a brown and wild rice mix, and for the chili I used a vegetarian chili since I also chopped up some chicken. Since RiRi is a vegetarian, the vegetarian chili also served me well and for hers I replaced the chicken with chopped up mushrooms.

Not only did I top the peppers with chopped VELVEETA®, but it’s also mixed in all over the filling. It gives you a great chili cheese flavor inside of stuffed peppers. I know this is traditionally a comfort food served in colder months, but why not bend the rules a bit? Chili cheese on the grill is a classic summertime favorite! Besides, I’m in California, we can grill pretty much year round!

The measurements worked out pretty well, the filling is just the right amount for six stuffed peppers, and I go ahead and grill the tops too. In the end I covered the peppers with the tops and it helped the cheese melt. It’s so cute to serve them with the tops too! We grilled some buttered French bread and served that on the side with the stuffed peppers for a filling weeknight dinner. The six ounces of VELVEETA® was just the right amount too, I actually added less to the filling and towards the end of the grilling I added some more VELVEETA® to the top to melt. Each stuffed pepper had about 1 ounce of VELVEETA®, which just so happens to be the recommended serving size!

Ingredients for Chili Cheese Grilled and Stuffed Bell Peppers:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups prepared brown & wild rice mix
• 2 cups prepared (or canned) vegetarian chili
• 1 cup broccoli florets, stems cut off
• 6 bell peppers in red, yellow and green
• 6 ounces VELVEETA® brick, sliced in small pieces

Directions:

Begin by browning the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper. Add the cooked rice and the broccoli, lightly sauté.

Add the chili and stir well. Continue to heat through till broccoli is slightly tender.

Meanwhile, cut off the tops of your bell peppers and remove the seeds. If necessary, cut the bottoms in a small, thin line if needed for them to stand upright.

Now stuff your peppers! Do about a tablespoon at a time, sprinkling with small pieces of the VELVEETA® all throughout, between each tablespoon of filling – using about 4 tablespoons.

Top with a few more slices, reserving about 2 ounces to top it with while on the grill.

Heat your grill on a medium/low heat, being sure to brush the racks with oil so they don’t stick. If using charcoal, heat your coals on one side of the grill, and place the peppers on the cooler half. The heat should be about 300 degrees. Place the tops on the top rack, and let cook for about 30 minutes.

Since the filling is precooked, you’re just waiting for the peppers to cook and the VELVEETA® to melt.

About 15 minutes into the grill time, add the remaining 2 ounces of VELVEETA®, then cover with the tops to help it melt.

The peppers are done once they are mostly soft, but still firm enough to hold their shape. If cut into, they are no longer crisp, instead they’re soft, and pliable.

Serve with toasted bread. I just cut a French loaf in half and buttered it, then added it to the grill about 5-10 minutes before the peppers were done.

Enjoy!

How do you love to stuff your peppers?

VELVEETA® lovers know it as Liquid Gold, and it has been a favorite of families since 1928. Known for its smooth, creamy texture and perfect melt, you can use VELVEETA® in a variety of recipes – and strike Liquid Gold.