The recipe wanted half a pepper. The store sold you a whole one. Now the other half sits in the crisper, quietly folding in on itself.
The fix is to plan the second half before you buy the first. Here are three dinners for one from the 3Onions app that each use bell pepper, so the pepper you bring home has somewhere to go.
Three dinners that use it up
Bell pepper is in all three. Every bit gets used.
20 min · uses 1 bell pepper
Chicken tacos
Ingredients and steps
Ingredients for one
½ lb chicken breast
2 tortillas
1 bell pepper
½ lime
¼ cup shredded cheese
From your pantry: salt, black pepper, oil, chili powder
Steps
Slice and season. Slice the bell pepper, then the chicken, into thin strips. Toss the chicken with salt, black pepper and chili powder.
Sear the chicken. Cook the chicken in a little oil in a hot skillet over medium-high for 3 minutes. Add the pepper and cook 3–4 minutes more, until the pepper is soft at the edges and the thickest strip reads 165°F.
Warm the tortillas. Tip everything onto a plate and warm the tortillas in the same pan, about 30 seconds a side, until soft and a little toasty.
Build the tacos. Fill the tortillas with chicken and pepper, then top with cheese and a squeeze of lime.
40 min · uses 1 bell pepper
Sheet-pan sausage & sweet potato
Ingredients and steps
Ingredients for one
½ lb sausage
1 sweet potato
1 bell pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
From your pantry: salt, black pepper, paprika
Steps
Heat the oven. Set it to 425°F. Cut the sweet potato into ¾-inch cubes, the bell pepper into strips and the sausage into thick coins.
Oil and season. Toss everything with the olive oil, salt, black pepper and paprika on a sheet pan. Spread it out in one layer so it browns instead of steaming.
Roast it all. Give it 22–25 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the sweet potato is tender and caramelized and the sausage reads 160°F (165°F for chicken sausage).
15 min · uses 1 bell pepper
Quesadillas
Ingredients and steps
Ingredients for one
2 tortillas
½ cup shredded cheese
1 bell pepper
½ can black beans
From your pantry: salt, oil, ground cumin
Steps
Prep the filling. Slice the bell pepper thin. Drain and rinse the beans, then pat them dry so the quesadillas stay crisp.
Soften the pepper. Cook the pepper in a little oil in a skillet over medium-high, 3–4 minutes, until soft at the edges. Season with salt and a pinch of cumin, then tip it onto a plate.
Fill and fold. Scatter cheese over half of each tortilla, add the beans and pepper, then a little more cheese to glue it shut. Fold them over.
Toast until golden. Use the same skillet over medium, 2–3 minutes a side, pressing gently, until the cheese has melted. Cut into wedges.
How to store half a bell pepper
Wrap the cut half tightly, or keep it cut side down in a small airtight container, in the fridge. It stays crisp for about three to four days. Pat it dry first: moisture on the cut face is what turns it soft.
FAQ
Can you freeze bell pepper?
Yes. Slice it, freeze the strips flat on a tray, then move them to a bag. Thawed pepper is soft, so use it in cooked dinners like fajitas or a skillet, not in salads.
How can you tell a cut pepper has gone bad?
Wrinkled skin is fine to cook with. Slimy patches, mold or a sour smell mean it should go.
Does it matter which color you buy?
Not for these dinners. Red, yellow and orange peppers are sweeter; green is a little more bitter. Use whichever looks best.
