These stuffed peppers are as equally gorgeous as they are tasty.
Try adding them to your weeknight meal rotation, your family will thank you… I promise.
We’re coming to the end of the week… which means I’ve used up most of my groceries that I bought the prior weekend.
Whoops… did I not plan a meal for tonight when I was at the store?
Does this ever happen to you? I’ve noticed that I tend to make up the best recipes with ingredients I scavenge from my pantry. (I’m completely serious here.) These stuffed peppers were a hodgepodge of what I had leftover from the week and I couldn’t be happier… they turned out GREAT!
With a little bit of this and a little bit of that…
you can transform yesterday’s table scraps into tonight’s masterpiece.
Don’t have all the ingredients listed? Not a problem! You can substitute with what you have on hand! This recipe is very forgiving and allows you to mix and match with different ingredients.
If you make this recipe, let us know! Please don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #sliceofjess on Instagram so we can see. We LOVE seeing what you come up with. Bon appetit, friends!
Ingredients:
For the Stuffing:
- 6-8 Baby Bell Peppers or 2 large Bell Peppers, any color
- 1/2 lb. Ground Turkey
- 1 tbsp. Taco Seasoning
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Quinoa
- 2 cups Chicken Stock
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 cup Kale, chopped
- Butter, as needed
- Feta Cheese, to sprinkle on top as garnish
- S+P to taste
- Fresh Herbs, for garnish (I used Green Onions)
For the Cilantro-Walnut Pesto:
- 1 large bunch Cilantro, stems removed, about 2 cups
- 1/4+ cup Olive Oil
- 3/4 cup Walnuts
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 1 clove Garlic
- S + P to taste
- OPTIONAL: 1 small Jalapeno Pepper, seeded (adds a nice kick of heat)
- OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (I highly recommend this, adds a touch of creaminess)
Directions:
For the Stuffing & Peppers:
- In a medium pot, bring the Chicken Stock and Bay Leaf to a low boil. Stir in Quinoa, cover and reduce heat to a medium. Simmer for about 15 minutes; or until liquid is absorbed.
- While Quinoa is cooking, chop the Kale. Make sure to remove the middle ribs before chopping, as they are edible but bitter.
- When Quinoa is done cooking, add Kale to the pot, cover and set aside. The steam from the Quinoa will wilt the Kale and then you can stir it in prior to transferring to the peppers.
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Saute Ground Turkey with Taco Seasonings and Garlic until browned, about 6 minutes.
- Grease the inside of a medium sized baking dish with Butter. Pour half of the Quinoa/Kale mixture into the bottom of the buttered dish.
- Mix Ground Turkey with the remaining Quinoa until well combined. Hollow each Baby Bell Pepper and fill them with the Turkey stuffing. (If you’re using regular Bell Peppers, simply cut them in half and fill.)
- Nestle each pepper in the upright position in your baking dish so they are surrounded by the Quinoa you previously put in the baking dish.
- The reason I do this is because the Quinoa on the outside of the peppers will get a slight crunchy crust from baking and provides a different texture than the Quinoa mix on the inside of the peppers. It’s the same concept why Crispy Rice is so good… Crispy Quinoa is better! #gamechanger
- Sprinkle entire dish with Feta Cheese and bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until peppers are tender.
- Make Cilantro-Walnut Pesto (see below).
- Plate peppers on a small bed of Crispy Quinoa and drizzle with Cilantro-Walnut Pesto. Sprinkle with Fresh Herbs and serve immediately.
For the Cilantro-Walnut Pesto:
- Toss all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add more Olive Oil or Water if you prefer a thinner sauce.
- Season to taste with Salt & Pepper ~ I add about 1 tsp. each.
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