Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers -- Game Day Green Chile in a Bowl

Super Bowl Sunday. I don't have a team in it this year — neither do most of the people in Denver, now that the Broncos are watching from home like the rest of us — but I grilled anyway because Super Bowl Sunday without a grill going is just a Sunday, and I don't do just Sundays. Green chile burgers. The classics. Half-pound patties of ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, grilled over charcoal on the Weber until the edges char. Topped with a thick layer of roasted Hatch green chile — the hot stuff this time, not the medium I use for the kids — and a slice of pepper jack cheese melted until it runs. Served on toasted buns. This is not fancy food. This is the food that built civilizations, or at least football programs.

I invited two of my assistant coaches over — Briggs and DeSantis — and their families. Thirteen people in my living room, which is six more than the room was designed for and exactly the right number for a football party. The kids ran in circles. The coaches and I argued about the game. Lisa and the coaches' wives sat in the kitchen and talked about things that were not football, which I find mysterious but respect. At halftime I brought out a second round of burgers and a pot of queso made with green chile and beer — well, near-beer for me, the non-alcoholic kind that tastes like compromise but works fine in queso.

Diego stayed up for the whole game. He's nine, it's a school night, and Lisa gave me a look that could strip paint, but the kid wanted to watch and I couldn't say no because I was nine once and my father let me stay up and those are the memories that stick. Sofia went to bed at halftime with no complaints. The twins were asleep by the first quarter, tangled together on the couch like a pile of laundry with heartbeats.

Monday was Valentine's stuff at school — the twins made cards for their classmates, which involved glitter, glue, and a level of destruction that suggested arts and crafts should require a building permit. Diego's class exchanged valentines. He came home with a card from a girl named Mariana and turned red when I asked about it. I did not push. I filed it away for future use.

Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

The green chile burgers were the main event, but after thirteen people cycled through the living room and the queso pot hit empty, I kept thinking about what to make the following week when the crowd is smaller and I still want that same roasted pepper, smoky beef energy without firing up the charcoal. This deconstructed stuffed pepper recipe is exactly that — everything that makes stuffed peppers worth eating, skipped of all the fussy assembly, which is the kind of cooking philosophy I can get behind on a Tuesday night when Diego’s doing homework and the twins are being twins. It’s got the green chile spirit built right in, and it feeds the table without requiring a building permit.

Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef (80/20)
• 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 large bell peppers (red or green), diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup roasted Hatch green chile, diced (hot or medium)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack or Mexican blend cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Fresh cilantro or sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Brown the beef. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat and set beef aside.
2. Sauté the vegetables. In the same skillet, add the diced bell peppers and onion. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Build the base. Return the browned beef to the skillet. Stir in the smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes (with juices), green chile, and beef broth. Stir to combine.
4. Add the rice. Stir in the uncooked rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 18–20 minutes, until the rice is cooked through and has absorbed most of the liquid.
5. Melt the cheese. Remove the lid and sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Replace the lid for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Serve. Spoon directly from the skillet into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro or sliced green onions if desired. Serve hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 680mg