Pepper Tacos

Hi Everyone!!! Heads up: you are going to LOVE ME for showing you these Pepper Tacos.

So, as many of you know from my Instagram story, I am currently deep in the throes of wedding planning, and I am going to be trying on wedding dresses this weekend! I am so unbelievably excited to say YES TO THE DRESS and to check another box off of my (very, very long) list. 

I’ve pored over way too many bridal magazines over the last few months and have read repeatedly that the experience – while joyful – can be a bit stressful and overwhelming.  So, this past week, I wanted to do everything I could to minimize stress and to make sure that I was feeling my best for Saturday.

A little stress = I want something delicious. Trying on wedding dresses = need to keep it tight. The result: a killer healthy low-carb dinner: The Pepper Taco. 

Delicious substitutions = guilt free indulgence

Pepper tacos are one of my favorite low-carb meals. This is a seriously creative way to have all of the flavor of a traditional taco, with none of the guilt (not that eating tacos is a seriously UN-healthy thing – BUT this variation makes taco night a particularly healthy choice).

The first substitution involves using a red bell pepper shell instead of a flour taco shell. The benefit here is obvious: the red bell pepper has many more nutrients with fewer calories and carbs. Rather than eating a shell filled with preservatives and partially hydrogenated oils, you are eating a bright red bell pepper filled with Vitamin C and Fiber.  

Flour taco shell: 140 calories, 24 g of carbs
Red Bell Pepper shell: 18 calories, 4-5 g of carbs

Another trick of the trade that we LOVE is using Greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute. I was skeptical when I first heard about this healthy swap, but I was AMAZED at how I barely noticed a difference when I tried it for myself! I did, however, notice the astronomical difference in calorie and fat content is when I compared the two labels: 

1 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt: 133 calories, 23 g fat, 7 g carb
1 cup of low-fat Sour Cream: 416 calories, 32 g fat, 16 g carb 

It’s crazy how little things can make the BIGGEST difference! Just another reason why cooking is so rewarding; when you cook, you are in control of what you put in your body. There are so many quick and easy ways to make a flavorful meal NUTRITIOUS – give this one a shot!.

“Do I need a food processor to make this?”

No, you absolutely do not. If you have one – amazing, definitely use it.

The benefit using a food processor is that you WON’T CRY WHILE CHOPPING ONIONS (revolutionary!). It’s also WAY faster and gives you a finer chop than chopping the traditional way with a knife.

If you don’t have a food processor, going old school is just fine. Just use a chef’s knife to finely chop the onion.

In case you need it (seriously, some of you definitely do!), here is a helpful link that walks you through how to properly and safely chop an onion.

Prepping Pepper Tacos: To-Go 

If you are packing pepper tacos for lunch, wrap each pepper taco individually.

Fill each pepper shell with the taco filling (see photo below!) and drizzle with cheese. Next, wrap each pepper taco tightly in saran wrap. This should keep the filling tight inside the taco so it doesn’t spill during your commute.

For the Greek Yogurt, I recommend that you fill a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag with yogurt. When it’s time for lunch, snip the corner of the bag and use it as a make-shift Greek yogurt dispenser. OR, if you like A LOT of Greek yogurt (if you’re a big sour cream person),  I recommend purchasing a 5.3 oz container of Greek yogurt from the store when you are grocery shopping. This way, your sour cream substitute is already packed and ready to go.

At lunch time, microwave the pepper for 30-60 seconds, add on a dollop of Greek yogurt, and Ole! Delicious lunch, hecho.

Prepping Pepper Tacos: Meal-Prepping for a Week of Dinners at Home

If you are NOT packing these to-go, but are instead prepping dinners to eat at home during the week ahead, all you need to do is prep the taco filling and store in a Tupperware container. Cut the peppers into shells and store separately in a big freezer size Ziploc bag.

(If you fill all of the tacos in advance and put them in one big Tupperware, they have a tendency to get soggy. Keeping the filling separate from the peppers until you are ready to eat them keeps everything tasting fresher.)

At dinner time, lay out the pepper shells on a sheet pan, fill each with your taco filling (i.e. chicken, beans, jalopeño-onion mixture), sprinkle with cheese, and place in the oven at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes until the cheese is melty. Take your tacos out of the oven and add a dollop of Greek yogurt, and you are all set! 

ENJOY!!!! Please let me know if you have any questions and let me know your thoughts!