This is a go-to dish that I have been making for years and one of our favorites! It’s delicious, healthy and filling. I’ve made it often for family dinner, but it is also special enough to make for company. Add a salad and dinner is complete. But be sure to make extra because you’ll want to enjoy these stuffed peppers as leftovers the next day for lunch!
Stuffed Peppers
A delicious one-pot meal for family dinner or company!
Ingredients
- 5 large bell peppers any variety of colors you like
- 1 onion diced small
- 1 large carrot diced small
- 1 zucchini diced small
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach chopped
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 small package crumbled feta cheese
- 1 lb. ground turkey breast
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions
-
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-
In large skillet, heat EVOO over medium high heat. Brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Add zucchini, carrot and onion. Cook until tender and slightly browned, about 12-15 minutes more.
-
In the meantime, combine 3/4 cup raw quinoa and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and lightly simmer for about 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Leave covered and set aside.
-
Add garlic to pan with vegetables and cook 1 minute. Season vegetables with lemon pepper, thyme, Italian seasoning and oregano and cook 1 minute more.
-
Reduce heat to medium low. Add about ¾ of the can of tomato sauce and spinach to pan. Cook 5 minutes until spinach is reduced and tender. Remove pan from heat and stir in crumbled feta cheese.
-
Add cooked quinoa to the pan with the turkey and vegetables. Stir to combine all ingredients. Let cool a few minutes.
-
Prepare peppers by washing them and removing the stem. Slice off the very top of the pepper, keeping the pepper in tact like a bowl. Remove seeds and membranes from inside of pepper with your hands or a knife, being careful not to cut through the pepper. Place peppers in a large glass bowl with a little water in the bottom and cover with a wet paper towel. Steam peppers in the microwave for about 4 minutes until they are slightly soft.
-
Remove peppers from microwave and drain them on a paper towel. Fill each pepper with the quinoa mixture. Use lots of filling so the pepper is overstuffed.
-
Place peppers in a large covered ovenproof dish. Top the peppers with the remaining tomato sauce. If there is extra filling, just place it in the covered dish in between the peppers.
-
Cook the peppers in the covered dish in oven for about 45 minutes. Remove lid and cook 15 minutes more.