Turkey-Stuffed Peppers
Quinoa-and-turkey stuffed peppers are the delicious, healthy, kid-friendly, one-pan dinner that you need in your life right this minute! Can one dinner really be all of these things? Spiced with fresh jalapeños and homemade taco seasoning (or store-bought in a pinch), sprinkled with a little pepper jack cheese, this protein-packed, veggie-laden, hassle-free meal is one that everyone will love—especially the cook.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers:
The old-fashioned, classic stuffed pepper recipe calls for beef, but for a quick weeknight dinner we love to keep things as lean and healthy as we can, so we’ve opted for ground turkey stuffed peppers instead. Meaty, lean ground turkey is cooked with lots of onions, garlic and spices, so you really don’t miss the beef. Here’s how to make our super easy, turkey-stuffed bell peppers:
- Brown the turkey in a big skillet. Once it’s cooked, add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent.
- Kill the heat, and toss the turkey mixture with cooked quinoa, a can of tomatoes, fresh jalapeño, taco seasoning, black beans and cheese.
- Cut those peppers! Cut them in half, and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Line peppers on a lightly-greased baking sheet.
- Fill the cut bell peppers! Sprinkle with even more pepper jack cheese.
- Bake until they’re tender and juicy, and the cheese is melted and gooey. Devour!
Three Reasons This is The Best Healthy Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe Ever:
Savory, hearty, healthy, and a little spicy, this dinner proves that healthy does NOT have to mean bland or boring. Like anyone else, sometimes we’re just too tired to do anything but order a pizza and call it a day. But when we’ve got a few minutes to make dinner, and some simple ingredients on hand, making a meal that fills our family’s bellies with ultra-healthy foods like quinoa, lean ground turkey and black beans makes us feel like superheroes.
- It comes together super fast! Even if you don’t have quinoa cooked ahead of time, it only takes 15 minutes to cook. You can simmer it while you brown the turkey.
- It’s a delicious way to get your family excited about vegetables! The peppers are fun to eat and make for a really colorful plate. Also, they’re stuffed with taco-seasoned meat and melted cheese—that usually scores big with the littles.
- Lean turkey, plus lots of veggies, plus protein-packed quinoa=major, major healthy dinner points!
What Should I Serve With Stuffed Peppers?
You don’t have to serve them with anything—these Mexican-spiced turkey stuffed bell peppers are so loaded with goodness (beans! Veggies! Quinoa! cheese!) that they absolutely qualify as a stand-alone dish. However, if you want a little extra something green on your plate, a simple side salad is always a nice touch, and doesn’t add too much meal-prep time.
Do You Have to Blanch Peppers for Stuffed Peppers?
Nope! How genius is that? Simply stuff raw bell peppers—you want them to hold their shape in the oven as they bake, so blanching the peppers before stuffing them with the seasoned ground turkey would soften them, which is the opposite of what you want.
Tools You’ll Need To Make Turkey-Stuffed Bell Peppers:
These turkey-and-quinoa stuffed bell peppers are not very demanding. All you’ll need is:
- A sharp knife.
- A large skillet.
- A sheet pan or baking dish.
Other Favorite Weeknight Suppers:
So often, half the work of cooking is figuring out what to make. Let us do some of the heavy lifting—it’s what we’re here for! Here are three of our favorite weeknight-ready dishes:
- Crispy chicken stir-fry with blistered green beans is weeknight comfort, pure and simple.
- Skillet-roasted chicken with cabbage is yet another easy-peasy, ultra-flavorful, one-pan wonder.
- And, when in doubt: pasta. Specifically these cheesy, hearty easy stuffed pasta shells.
How’d They Turn Out?
Did your family flip over this stuffed bell pepper recipe? Snap a photo of your finished dish and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
