Meatless Monday dinners don’t have to be boring! Today I’ve partnered with Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q to bring you a recipe for hearty and flavorful vegetarian Three Bean Chili Stuffed Bell Peppers, as well as 7 tips for a successful Meatless Monday.
When most people think about popular Texas foods Texas Chili (made with all meat, no beans), barbecue brisket, tacos and smoked turkey all come to mind. Not exactly vegetarian or Meatless Monday friendly.
And while vegetarian or vegan diets and Meatless Monday are all gaining popularity, I would say in most places, it is still hard to find restaurants to cater to these specific dietary restrictions and might take quite a bit of coaxing to get family members to go meat free (cough, cough, most men I know) at least one day a week.
For my family, while we are not vegetarian, I often create meals or dishes that are meat free or even vegan. You see, Austin is very much a vegetarian and vegan friendly city and I have many friends, family members and clients that are not only vegetarian, vegan or Pescatarian, but have other dietary restrictions, like keeping Kosher or needing their diet to be dairy, nut or soy free.
Because of this, over the years I have created many recipes that meet these dietary restrictions, so that I can make sure all my friends and family feel welcome when coming over for various dinner parties or holidays. I also like to cook meat free at least 1-2 nights a week just to change up our regular meals and to help save time when preparing dinner, save money on groceries and overall just add balance to our diet.
Whether you are looking to make Meatless Monday a weekly event at your house, or are trying to be a good dinner host and cater to vegetarian friends, living a vegetarian lifestyle is often a very personal decision, stemming from religious and cultural upbringings, as well as health needs; thus resulting in several different types of plant-based diets. Below are the six common classifications of “vegetarian” eating:
Vegans: Maintaining the strictest of all vegetarian diets, vegans only eat plant products and avoid every-thing made from animals like cheese, milk and honey.
Lacto-vegetarians: In addition to a plant-based diet, lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products.
Ovo-vegetarians: In addition to a plant-based diet, ovo-vegetarians incorporate eggs into their diet.
Lacto-ovo vegetarians: Are the most common type of vegetarians and eat both dairy products and eggs in addition to a plant-based diet.
Pescatarians: Consume fish, dairy and eggs, in addition to a plant-based diet.
Flexitarian: Is someone who generally follows the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet but occasionally eats meat, fish, or poultry.
Switching to a vegetarian lifestyle permanently, or simply eating meatless one day a week as a family; may seem a bit challenging at first; however, with perseverance and these tips, Meatless Monday can be a success.
Seven Tips for a Successful Meatless Monday:
1. Preparing new meals and learning new eating habits may take some time to get accustom to. Choosing a convenient day of the week for your family to eat meat free, will result in the most success. Use this day to not only prepare meatless meals but as a day to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables for meals and snacking throughout the week.
2. Learning new cooking techniques may make those veggies more appealing to kids, and even adults. Try eating vegetables raw, steamed, sautéed, roasted and grilled.
3. No need to fret about the protein! There are many meatless protein options available; try quinoa, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds, seitan, tempeh, tofu, and veggie burgers.
4. Be creative and take family favorite recipes and transform them into a meatless option. Love chicken parmesan? Try eggplant parmesan! Other options are black bean burgers, meatless soups and salads, vegetable stir-fry and enchiladas filled with veggies, rice and beans.
5. Do research and find inspiration at local cooking schools, libraries, bookstores, grocery stores, farmers markets, recipe websites and blogs. These are all valuable resources to find additional vegetarian recipes and meal ideas, as well as vegetarian cooking tips and tricks.
6. If cooking for friends who are vegetarian or transiting to a more permanent vegetarian lifestyle, it is important to read the labels of your favorite cookies, condiments and other store bought soups and sauces, to ensure these items are in fact appropriate for a vegetarian diet. Luckily many of these items, like Stubb’s Sauces and Marinades, are vegetarian approved. In fact, not only is every Stubb’s product, except for the Honey Pecan Bar-B-Que Sauce vegan, it is also certified gluten free too!
7. Find support in friends and family by encouraging them to also eat meatless one day a week. Host a vegetarian recipe exchange or neighborhood vegetarian potluck to share meatless meal planning tips and recipes.
These vegetarian Three Bean Chili Stuffed Bell Peppers are a favorite meat free meal during the fall months. The vegetarian Three Bean Chili (using Stubb’s Chili Cookin’ Sauce) is hearty and flavorful enough on its own, but I like stuffing bell peppers with it incorporate more vitamin rich vegetables into our meal. We have made these Three Bean Chili Stuffed Bell Peppers countless times and I can confirm, they are so satisfying that even those family members who are on the fence about Meatless Monday will love them!
- For Three Bean Chili:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 1 cup diced white button mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 28-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 12-ounce package Stubb’s Chili Cookin' Sauce*
- -
- For Stuffed Bell Peppers:
- 1 batch Three Bean Chili
- 1 ½ cups cooked tri-colored quinoa or brown rice
- 4-5 bell peppers in assorted colors
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese**
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- To make chili, heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced bell peppers and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, beans, broth and Stubb’s Chili Cooking Sauce and Spice Pack. Reduce heat to low and let chili simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until thickened. Once chili has thickened, stir in 1 ½ cups cooked tri-colored quinoa to form filling. Set aside.
- To assemble bell peppers, cut bell peppers in half and scoop out ribs and seeds. Working in batches, place 3-4 peppers in a microwave safe dish with ¼ cup water. Cover dish with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes or until the bell peppers begin to soften.
- Transfer partially cooked bell peppers to a 9x13-inch baking dish and fill with chili and quinoa mixture. Top filled peppers with 1-2 tablespoons cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
*Only use half of the cooking sauce and spice pack for a mild chili.
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**For vegan, omit cheese or use a vegan cheese substitute.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with a fall side salad like this Spinach and Pear Salad with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette or Festive Fall Salad.
Other tailgating recipes you might enjoy:
Stubb’s Grilled Salad
Cajun Red Beans and Rice Burgers
Grilled Sweet Black Pepper Cauliflower Steaks topped with Charred Corn Salad
Steak and Potato Burgers {Plus Tips for the Perfect Burger}
Slow Cooker Bourbon Beef and Bean Chili {Plus 6 Tips to Amp Up Your Chili}
Disclosure: I am in a working relationship with Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q. This Three Bean Chili Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe was developed by me for Stubb’s and this blog post was written by me on behalf of Stubb’s. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Because of sponsors like Stubb’s I am able to continue to bring you all the content I feature here.
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