Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
These classic ground turkey stuffed peppers are loaded with lean ground meat, nutty wild rice, and juicy tomatoes, seasoned with Italian herbs and topped with melty cheese.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
For the bell peppers:
- 4 bell peppers desired color
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup cooked wild rice blend or use your favorite rice
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Prepare the peppers. Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes. Rinse the peppers, pat them dry with paper towels, and set aside.
- Sauté. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Cook the turkey. Add the ground turkey and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the turkey, breaking down the lumps, until it is cooked through, about 6 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add the cooked rice, canned chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and Italian herbs. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Stir in half the cheese and remove from the heat.
- Fill the peppers. Fill each pepper with the prepared mixture, then transfer the bell peppers to a lightly oiled baking dish.
- Bake the bell peppers. Pop the bell peppers in the oven and bake them for 20 minutes. Add the remaining cheese on top and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Finish and serve. Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before plating and serving.
Notes
- You do not have to cut your bell peppers in half; you can cut off the tops and fill the peppers whole. In this case, you will need to bake them for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Cheese options. Instead of cheddar, you can use your desired type of shredded cheese. I find that mozzarella pairs amazingly with the bell peppers.
- For a colorful dish, use a variety of colorful bell peppers.
- If you are left with any filling, scatter it around the bell peppers and bake.
- For extra flavor, crumble a bouillon cube into your filling and cook it until it dissolves. In this case, taste the filling before adding any extra salt and pepper.
- Rice options. White rice can be used as a substitute for wild rice, and this recipe is ideal for using up any leftover rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 424mg | Potassium: 928mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4225IU | Vitamin C: 165mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 3mg
