Stuffed Bell Peppers

I first was introduced to stuffed bell peppers by my brother-in-law actually! Usually when I go visit my sister in Northern California, we do most of the cooking but this one time a couple of years ago he decided to switch it up and serve us! He made these AMAZING stuffed bell peppers and I think I had like three of them that night! They were that good!

For this recipe I definitely veered from what he made us and put my own little spin on it! Most stuffed pepper recipes call for some sort of rice but for this recipe I decided to use quinoa instead! I have been LOVING quinoa lately and if you haven’t tried my Quinoa Avocado Salad yet… YOU NEED TO! Sorry! Side-tracked!

Anywho! These stuffed peppers are filled with all of the goods! From ground turkey to quinoa + some zucchini and lots of herbs and spices to spice it all up if you will! I even threw some dairy-free cheeses into the mix! YUM!!

• This recipe can actually make about 6-7 peppers but I only made 4 this time and had lots of leftovers!

• You can always swap out the quinoa for whatever rice that you prefer.

• You can also swap out the dairy-free cheese for the real deal.

Let’s get into it:

LINK TO THE FULL RECIPE IS HERE: https://www.casijackson.com/food-1/2020/8/12/stuffed-bell-peppers These stuffed peppers are filled with all of the goods! Fr...

INGREDIENTS:

6 Red Bell Peppers, tops cut off and inside hollowed out

3/4 C Quinoa

1/2 Yellow Onion, diced

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Zucchini, quartered

1 lb Ground Turkey

1 14 oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes

1/4 C Shredded Dairy-Free Mozzarella (I use the brand Follow your Heart)

Sea Salt

Ground Pepper

1/2 TBSP Garlic Powder

1 TSP Parsley Flakes

1 TSP Dried Oregano

1 TSP Dried Basil

1/2 TBSP Paprika

Dairy-Free Mozzarella Shreds, for topping

Dairy-Free Parmesan, for topping

5 fresh Basil Leaves, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cut tops off of the bell peppers. Hollow out the inside of the peppers so they are rid of all the seeds and place standing up inside of a baking dish.

3. Heat up medium sized skillet and pour quinoa into it. the goal here is to toast the quinoa before cooking. Continue to stir quinoa. Once quinoa becomes fragrant and starts to pop, add 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low, cover, and cook for about 13 minutes.

4. Prepare the vegetables. Quarter the zucchini, dice the yellow onion, and mince the garlic.

5. Heat up a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, onion and garlic. Let cook until garlic becomes fragrant and onions start to become translucent. Next add in ground turkey and let cook completely. Next, add zucchini and the spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley flakes, dried oregano, dried basil, and paprika). Add the can of petite diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

6. Once your quinoa is cooked, fluff with a fork and then add to ground turkey mixture. Next, add mozzarella shreds and stir well.

7. Now time to stuff the peppers! Spoon ground turkey mixture into peppers until completely full. Top each with mozzarella shreds.

8. Add water to the bottom of the baking dish. Just enough to cover the very bottom of the bell peppers.

9. Place in oven for 30-35 minutes. Once done, top with parmesan flakes and fresh basil leaves.

10. ENJOY!