Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I always thought stuffed peppers were super fancy and therefore difficult to make. Since then I've attempted 3 or 4 different recipes for stuffed peppers and was thrilled to find out that they're actually really easy to prepare!

You can use any color bell pepper you want in this recipe- yellow, green, orange, or red like me. I personally find red to be the sweetest bell pepper and easiest to digest which is why I chose to use it.

You can also switch up pretty much everything else in this recipe as well. Feel free to use ground beef or pork instead of turkey, or veggie ground meat if you're a vegetarian. You can also use a different grain such as brown or white rice, couscous, or bulgur wheat. If you're not a big fan of cilantro feel free to use basil or parsley. Lastly, if you're dairy-free simply omit the cheese. Have fun with this recipe and make it your own!

There are a couple things I would change for next time in this recipe. I added the shredded cheese at the end instead of stirring it through the whole mixture. Next time I make this I think I'll do both so it's super cheesy! Additionally, I totally made too much of the filling so I'd either half it or use 8 bell peppers and freeze the leftovers. 

My superfood this week is bell peppers. Bell peppers contain Vitamin A which is essential to good eye health. They also contain Vitamin C which helps the immune system ward off disease. Lastly, bell peppers contain beta-carotene and lycopene which can help prevent certain cancers.

Ingredients

4-8 bell peppers (depending on whether you want filling left over)

1 pound ground turkey (I used 93% fat free)

1 cup quinoa

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1.5 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)

1/4 cup cilantro

1.5-3 cups chicken or veggie stock (use 1.5 for 4 peppers, use 3 for 8 peppers)

1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2% milk fat)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2) Cook quinoa according to package directions. (I added 2 cups water, brought it to a boil and then simmered for 20 minutes)

3) Cut top off peppers and remove ribs. (You may need to trim the bottom of the peppers so they stand up straight)

4) Heat chicken stock and pour in bottom of a 9x13 pan

5) Dice onions and mince garlic

6) Saute onions and ground turkey over medium high heat until brown (about 10 minutes)

6) Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes

7) Cook for 2 more minutes then add tomato sauce and cilantro

8) Turn heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes

9) Add cooked quinoa to turkey mixture and stir to combine

10) Place peppers in chicken stock lined pan and fill with turkey mixture pressing down.

 11) Cover pan with foil and cook for 35 minutes

12) Remove foil, add cheese (about 1 tbsp. a pepper) and bake for another 5 minutes. (You can also broil for 2-3 minutes too if you want bubbly cheese)