After too much heavy holiday eating, I like turning to these stuffed peppers. They’re light, nutritious, and really balance out the rich meals from the festivities. Stuffed veggies always make a fun meal. My Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Zucchini Boats and Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers regularly find their way onto my menu. This time, I am going with a Mediterranean theme, and making them even healthier by swapping the beef for ground turkey.
Ingredients Needed
Bell peppers – Multi colored for a prettier platter. Ground turkey – I use regular ground turkey, rather than ground turkey breast, which can be too dry. Rice – I use a wild rice blend, but in its absence, brown rice is a good alternative. Herbs and spices – Garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Flavor enhancers – Cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, pine nuts. Garnishes – Fresh parsley and feta cheese.
Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers Recipe
- Prepare the peppers: I place the pepper halves, cut side up, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Then, I brush them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. I bake them for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Prepare the turkey mixture: I cook the ground turkey until it’s no longer pink. Then, I add garlic and seasonings and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Next, I toss in the tomatoes and olives and cook everything for a few more minutes. After that, I stir in the rice and pine nuts. I give it a taste and adjust the seasoning to make sure everything is just right.
- Bake: I divide the turkey mixture evenly among the six pepper halves. Then, I bake the stuffed peppers for about 10-15 minutes, until they are as soft as I like them.
- Serve: I garnish the baked peppers with crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh parsley, then serve them immediately.
Variations
Some days I swap out the rice for pearled couscous to make this recipe quicker, or use quinoa for a different texture. For a Tex-Mex twist, I replace the olives, pine nuts, and feta with corn, black beans, and cheddar, and use Taco Seasoning instead of the original spices. To give them an Asian flair, I swap out the tomatoes, olives, and pine nuts for carrots, zucchini, and sesame seeds, and I skip the feta. I take inspiration from my Ground Turkey Stir Fry for the seasonings. For a New Orleans flavor, I season with Creole Seasoning, and use green pepper, onion, and celery instead of pine nuts and olives. If I want to keep it low carb, I replace the rice with cauliflower rice.
Have any other ideas? I’d love to hear from you! Give my Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers a try, I am sure you’re going to love them as much as we do. Experiment. Try different flavor combinations. Make them your own! Save or pin this great recipe, so you always know where to find it. And be sure to subscribe to GypsyPlate, we’re always cooking up new recipes for you!
Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other healthy ground poultry recipes!Ground Turkey ChiliThai Basil ChickenMeatball Minestrone SoupGround Turkey PastaChicken Chapli KebabsGround Turkey TacosChicken Lettuce Wraps
