Easy & Healthy Stuffed Pepper Recipe
For YEARS, I rolled my eyes at the thought of stuffed peppers.
I'm not entirely sure why, but I think it was partially because it looked like too much work. I eat more bell peppers than anyone I know (fav food to make is fajitas), but was shying away from this incredibly easy and healthy recipe! Now that I know how easy and quick it is to make them they have become part of the rotation.
My favorite meals have THREE things:
-VARIETY OF INGREDIENTS: more nutrients and better tasting, always a win
-SIMPLE TO MAKE: I don't have (nor want to have) time to spend hours on cooking meals. If it requires basically no skill- sign me up.
-ARE EASILY CUSTOMIZED: I hate monotony, especially when it comes to making my food. I like having a basic template that I can make to how I'm feeling that day.
This Ground Turkey & Quinoa Stuffed Bell Pepper recipe has ALL three of these things- making it a real winner. Essentially the only thing that stays consistent is the bell pepper part. You like ground chicken and brown rice better? Substitute that into this exact recipe and its just as good.
Read below for the ingredients I like to use and the easy easy simple steps to get it done:
EASY and healthy ingredient list, and substitutes:
-Bell Peppers
-Quinoa or brown rice
-Spinach or Kale
-Ground Turkey, Chicken, or other meat
-Garlic clove, minced garlic, or garlic powder
-Onion, chopped
-Salt and pepper
-Italian seasoning or other spices like basil, oregano, or paprika
-optional: marinara sauce to drizzle on top, for larger meal add to pasta or rice
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pick some bell peppers, gut 'em, and cut them in half the long way. Place them in an oven safe dish and it helps if you drizzle olive oil onto them (I use a low height glass pan).
3. Make quinoa or rice, timing it so that it will be done for stuffing later!
2. Heat oil on stove in a pan over medium heat.
3. I like throwing onion and garlic into the oil to spice up the turkey.
4. Throw a half pound to one pound of ground turkey into the pan. *2 peppers (so 4 halves being stuffed) used less than a half pound of turkey for me. This included the amount of quinoa I also used, which was probably a lot :)
5. Heat until cooked through. I simply flavor the turkey with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. I also add spinach at the end for an extra veggie, taking it off the heat once wilted.
6. In large bowl, combine the turkey mixture with quinoa.
This mixture is scooped directly into the bell pepper boats. I love the flavor boost given by adding some mozzarella and I want it in every bite, so I layer it between scoops of turkey and sprinkle some on the top for the last few minutes of baking.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until peppers are softened.
This stuffed pepper recipe is so simple, delicious, and healthy! And it uses such simple ingredients that you don't have to break the bank. Try this out and customize your peppers with your favorite fillings!
Other healthy bell pepper recipes I recommend checking out that give you more ideas to try! They give some good pointers as well.
-MK :)
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