Steak & Cheese Stuffed Peppers

If you are a regular here, you already know that I try on most days to limit my carbs and to eat healthy.  I do not completely deprive myself though.  Once a week (usually on Friday nights) I eat anything I want for one meal AND I also indulge in dessert.  I think it's important to do that, even if you are trying to loose weight.  Deprivation can totally derail your efforts because when you are feeling deprived you tend to "cheat" on your diet.  I've found (at least for me) that the one "bad" meal a week doesn't undo all my hard work from the rest of the week and prevent the number on the scale from decreasing.  

So earlier this week I was craving a steak and cheese sandwich, and then I remembered that I saw somewhere a picture of a steak and cheese stuffed pepper (might have been on Pinterest).  I didn't go seeking to find it though.  Since steak and cheese is pretty self-explanatory, I just did it my way.  This was a great low-carb meal that satisfied my steak and cheese craving.  Both my husband and son liked it too.  I was worried my son would say "I prefer the actual sandwich" but he didn't!  He still may have been thinking that, but what he actually said was that it was good - much better than he thought it would be.  I'll take it ☺ 

Steak & Cheese Stuffed Peppers

4 large green peppers
1.5 lbs of sirloin
1 small onion, sliced
1 package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4 slices of provolone, more if you want extra cheese
Teriyaki Sauce (optional)

Cut the sirloin as thin as you can into strips.  Place into a ziplock bag and pour a little (about 1/4 cup) teriyaki sauce into bag and let it marinade in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.  You can of course skip marinading the beef in the sauce - I did it because it flavors the beef just a little so it's not bland, but I only use a little because I don't want it to taste like teriyaki beef.  

In a large saucepan, fill it about half full with water and bring it to a boil.  Cut tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs from inside.  If your peppers are very large you can cut them lengthwise instead.  Place in boiling water for about 4-6 minutes - you just want to soften them, but don't cook them to the point that they will break apart when you try to remove them from the water.  Meanwhile, in a medium sized saute pan melt about 1 tbsp of butter, then add the sliced onion and mushrooms.  Saute on med-low heat until onions are translucent and soft - about 20 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350, and spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray,  Add the beef to the onions and mushrooms and cook until no longer pink, but be careful to not overcook the beef (you want it to be tender, not dried and rubbery).  Spoon the beef mixture into each pepper evenly, then top with a piece of provolone cheese and place them into the baking dish.  Bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned.