When I was little I disliked anything to do with peppers. Chili peppers, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers. I wanted nothing to do with any of it. I also didn’t like garlic or onion, and hated mustard.
Isn’t it crazy how things change? These days I use garlic and onion in everything, I prefer mustard to ketchup and love all peppers! I buy bell peppers every time I go to the store and I love when I find them on sale, like two for $1.00. I like them in every color, each color does taste just a bit different and yellow ones are fabulous in salads, red are great with eggs, and green is kind of a go-to for everything. Bell peppers are a great way to add some color to your food, which I’m big on, and they’re really good for you too!
For years I’ve seen stuffed peppers in magazines or pictures. I always thought they looked so pretty, but who would possibly eat them. HOW do you eat them? Until I tried them! They’re surprisingly filling and there’s so many ways you can make them to suit your health and dietary needs. I prefer cutting the peppers in half and stuffing them that way, it’s easier to eat and sometimes half a stuffed bell pepper is all you need to fill you up. I also prefer roasting the peppers rather than boiling them like most recipes that I’ve seen suggest. Boiling removes some of the essential vitamins and I find makes them a bit more bland. I prefer roasted vegetables in general, since it brings out the natural flavors and intensifies them. So halving and slightly roasting the bell peppers is essential to this recipe. The final result is a tasty and still firm pepper with tons of flavor!
I’ve made these a few times and kind of perfected the recipe. The tomato paste helps everything stick together a bit and I love the rice pouch that I use. It’s a Safeway brand and you pop it in the microwave while everything is cooking and it steams in the bag. It’s brown rice, wild rice, and quinoa so it’s nice and healthy and a great addition to the ground turkey that’s used. I used the same rice pouch in this recipe too. You could also use soy meat or sausage or anything else you may prefer. They’re delicious, and even my younger kids like them. My family has our own preferences on which color peppers taste best, I prefer the stuffed yellow ones, while Big G likes the red and D-Man likes the green. I usually use orange in this recipe as well but I couldn’t find any this time around. In addition to tasting great, they’re so pretty, colorful and impressive. I make a lot because of my massive family and this also fed my in-laws, so if you’re cooking for fewer people you can adapt it to suit your guests. Or you can make them all and have some delicious leftovers!
Ingredients:
- 8 bell peppers, halved and de-seeded
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon season salt
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 package Safeway Select brown & wild rice with quinoa (or substitute if you prefer something else)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilies, lightly drained
- 2 cups fresh corn (you can also use canned or frozen)
- 1 cup medium cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 1-2 tablespoons cilantro or Italian parsley, chopped (optional garnish)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut bell peppers in half, removing seeds and veins, spray or brush with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spray or lightly grease roasting pan with olive oil and place halved peppers in pan, arranging so they’re tight with not too much space between with cut sides facing up
.
Roast peppers in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, remove and let cool.
While peppers are roasting, brown turkey over medium heat in a large skillet.
While browning add spices, then onion and garlic. Saute until onions are soft and meat is brown.
While browning meat, cook rice in pouch in the microwave. Once done set aside.
Once meat is done add Worcestershire sauce and mix sufficiently. Bring heat down to low.
Add tomato paste, stirring until combined. Then add tomatoes, beans and corn.
Add rice. Combine everything, then remove from heat.
Using a spoon, stuff the cooled bell pepper halves with the meat mixture.
Place back in oven and bake another 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese and place back in oven until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley (optional).
I served these with my cornbread recipe, made as muffins.
Delish!
Here you can see all those delicious layers. Enjoy!
Amazing! Love how easy it actually is. Thanks for sharing and love the detail with the post!
Thank you!
Oh, I love me some bell peppers, even though they don’t love me back! LOL! This looks good & I can’t wait to make it- thanks for sharing with us! 😀
Thank you, oh man, they were so good!
Wow this looks so good and I love how you used the brown rice, healthy AND a quick fix! I bet that my family would love this meal and I wouldnt have to cook for hours!!
Yes, it’s so fun and the kids love to help stuff it all and sprinkle with cheese!
I always make my stuffed peppers standing up, I like the halves and will most definitely will try :)!
The halves are perfect for those that can’t quite eat a whole stuffed pepper, plus it’s easier to stuff and totally different!
Stopping from from Marvelous Monday – these look fabulous and will definitely put on my meal plan for the week! Pinning!
These look so good!
It is amazing how your tastes change during your lifetime. I now love baked salmon and didn’t like before, but love now. These just look so good! Anytime you put cheese on top of something, it just makes it outrageously delicious.
This is one of my favorite ways to have bell peppers! 🙂 I followed you here from Marvelous Mondays & would like to invite you to come link up with us at Tasty Tuesdays, where EVERY post gets pinned! This week’s party is here: http://anyonitanibbles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/tasty-tuesdays-31-call-for-halloween.html
I am a “stock-up” cook with my vac sealer. Any ideas how this recipe would freeze (especially the peppers)? I have found that when you freeze fresh peppers, then thaw, they will have a lot water and get mushy. But since they are roasted first, I’m wondering if they will not. I usually partially bake casseroles prior to freezing, then thaw in the frig and finish baking the night I serve. Any insight would be appreciated.