Mexican-Style Chicken-Stuffed Peppers

1. Preheat the oven to 385 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Heat butter and oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion in the hot pan until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; cook and stir until browned and no longer pink in the center, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and add water and chili powder. Stir in garlic, salt, cumin, and red pepper; let cook for 5 minutes. Add rice and black beans.

3. Transfer chicken mixture to a bowl. Pour most of the crushed tomatoes into a large baking pan so it is 1 inch deep. Stuff the chicken mixture into the bell pepper halves until slightly overfilled and place open-side up in the tomatoes. Pour remaining crushed tomatoes over the peppers so they are just covered. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese, and cover the pan.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until peppers are soft, about 50 minutes. Serve hot with avocado and sour cream to garnish.

Cook's Note:

For vegetarians, the chicken may be omitted or it can be replaced with more rice and beans.