My friend gave me this red quinoa and ground turkey stuffed bell peppers recipe about four months ago, and I have probably prepared it 15 times since then. It is super easy to throw together and healthy to boot! The best part is babies can eat it too!
It is packed with complete proteins (hello quinoa!), veggies, and flavour. My husband loves it just the same!
Appetizing Red Quinoa and Ground Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers
This recipe for red quinoa and ground turkey stuffed bell peppers is my favourite so far. These are so healthy, but taste so amazing!
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa - red, rinsed and drained
6 medium red pepper (red capsicum) - organoc
2 tablespoons olive oil - extra-virgin
1 medium yellow onion - diced- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms - sliced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 pound ground turkey (minced turkey) - 99% lean
14 ounces tomatoes - no salt added, diced and drained of juices
3 tablespoons tomato paste - Italian
1 ½ teaspoons cumin - divided
2 teaspoons salt - divided
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper - divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup pepper jack cheese - shredded and optional
1 tablespoon parsley - chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare 1 cup of dried red quinoa per package directions (always rinse and drain your quinoa before adding to the pot to avoid bitterness). Set aside when finished.
- Remove the stems from the bell peppers and run your knife along the inside of the peppers to remove the ribs (keep the bell peppers whole so that you can stuff them later). Put the bell peppers in two loaf pans (3 in each) or all 6 into an 8×8 glass dish. Stand them up, so the tops are readily available for stuffing. Set aside.
- Season the ground turkey; sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper all over the ground turkey. Set aside.
- In a sauté pan, add olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the oregano and sauté for another 5 minutes until mushrooms reduce in size slightly.
- Add the minced garlic, sauté for 1 minute, and then add the ground turkey. Break up the ground turkey as much as possible with a wooden spoon and cook until the turkey is done.
- Turn heat to low, squeeze in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the tomato paste, and stir. Add the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Turn off heat and add the cooked quinoa into the pan, and once again, stir everything to mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings (I added about 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Make sure your salt level is on point. You can also add some heat here, hot sauce or chilli flakes if you like).
- Stuff each bell pepper as much as possible, using the back of a spoon to press the filling down. Once each pepper is stuffed, place it into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the peppers are easily cut with a knife.
- Once the 30 minutes are up, sprinkle a generous amount of cheese onto each pepper and put it under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is nice and melted. Sprinkle each pepper with fresh Italian parsley and serve immediately! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 373kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 30gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 1005mgPotassium: 1153mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 4638IUVitamin C: 166mgCalcium: 202mgIron: 4mg
How did this recipe turn out for you?We’re eager to hear your thoughts!
