Ditch The Tortilla Chips And Make Nacho-Inspired Stuffed Peppers Instead

Nachos are a messy kind of meal that starts out as an exciting dipping game, full of interactive fun and flavor, until the tortilla chips inevitably become soggy. Even if they can hold up to the breaking test, most chips give up on you early on and a fork becomes necessary anyway. Why not skip the argument over which tortilla chips make for the best nachos and admit that there are better ways to consume nacho toppings than with our hands? Instead, get rid of the chips and swap the nachos for stuffed peppers; you won't regret the decision. 

Stuffed peppers are a tried and true tradition that people have been altering to suit their tastes for many years, so there's no reason that nacho inspired peppers won't taste amazing. We already literally add peppers to multiple aspects of nachos already. Salsa is nothing without the addition of peppers — everything from bell peppers to habanero, and even ghost peppers for the bravest of the brave. 

Classic stuffed pepper dishes usually involve a green bell pepper as the base, but that doesn't have to be the only option on the table. Yellow, orange, and red bell peppers offer slightly different flavors than the green with the added bonus of looking beautiful when served. Serrano, romano, and hot cherry peppers are all known for being stuffed with something, but these options are likely too small for a task like nachos. We aren't saying that you "have" to use bell peppers, but their shape is one of the easiest to work with for stuffed preparations. Creating a bowl out of a bell pepper is simple; all you have to do is cut it in half and scoop out the insides. 

Along the same path as a standard stuffed pepper, you will want a crumbled/chopped protein like pre-cooked ground beef or turkey (tofu crumble or black beans for the vegetarians) that mixes well with other ingredients such as rice. Rather than white rice, tomatoes, and sautéed onions, you can look at your stuffing the same way you look at tacos and add anything that sounds tasty. Brown rice, diced tomatoes, and olives are a few examples. 

From there, you're in the market for the right cheese to melt over top of the stuffed peppers. Whether you're wanting to stick to the classics with a can of nacho cheese or feel like making something like a smoked gouda cheese sauce, this ingredient will tie everything together. Instead of letting your selected cheese cook with the peppers inside of the oven, add your melted cheese to the stuffed peppers right before serving. Nachos are not nachos without gooey cheese falling over the edges. 

We suggest leaving a selection of chopped (uncooked) ingredients like fresh cilantro or onions for everyone to add once the peppers have been plated and served. An assortment of hot sauces and salsas will further the "nacho" experience for everyone involved and giving folks a way to alter their nacho peppers for their personal palates. Anything that would be served alongside burritos or tacos are bound to make these nacho stuffed peppers taste better than expected.