ATK Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Stuffed Bell Peppers

Creating an easy stuffed pepper recipe in the slow cooker required some tinkering since, in our experience, even good traditional versions can be problematic—bland fillings and tough or mushy peppers are the norm. We didn't want to spend time at the stove sautéing the beef, nor did we want to parcook the peppers; luckily, we found the long cooking time guaranteed that beef added raw would emerge fully cooked, and the bell peppers would soften perfectly in the moist environment (as long as a little water was added at the outset). Getting perfectly cooked rice was more of a challenge. After trying many varieties of rice, both cooked and raw, we discovered that instant rice, a parcooked product, was the best option and turned out perfectly tender by the time the peppers were finished cooking. As for flavoring, we wanted to up the ante by pairing the classic beef, rice, and cheese trio with strong Tex-Mex spices. We added a healthy dose of Monterey Jack cheese to help hold the filling together, frozen corn, and chili powder and chipotles for heat. A sprinkling of cilantro at the end added brightness.