Droooool. I made a batch of these southwestern stuffed bell peppers with butternut squash early last week and was enjoying the leftovers for lunch every day afterwards. They’re so good! I’m using a rainbow assortment of peppers for the vibrant, colorful pictures (blog priorities *eye roll*). But you can use any color you’d like.

This is a great vegetarian dish, and can easily be made vegan by omitting the cheese or using a plant-based version.

This southwestern stuffed bell peppers recipe is easily customizable. Use a different grain if you don’t have rice on hand (quinoa, farro, etc.). Sweet potato would be a yummy alternative to butternut squash. Sometimes I’ll add diced tomatoes to the filling. And topping with sliced avocado is always a good idea. 🙂

If you’re into Meatless Monday, add these southwestern stuffed bell peppers to the menu for tomorrow’s dinner—they’re delicious! They’re also really filling, so if you’ve got a steak-and-potatoes person at your dinner table this could be a good option for convincing them vegetarian food really can be satisfying.

That being said, you could add meat to it if you prefer. This easy shredded chicken recipe would go well with it.

For anyone looking to make these vegan, you could omit the cheese or use a plant-based version. Honestly I haven’t found a vegan shredded cheese option that I *love* but Daiya’s pepperjack cutting board shreds are pretty good. The flavor isn’t as good as real pepperjack, but it does melt decently. If you have a better vegan suggestion, let me know!

xo Nicole

This blog post was updated in February 2020 with new photos. Some old ones are below.