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Turkey Stuffed Peppers

naturalnoshing
I used to turn up my nose at bell peppers, I guess there was something about the texture I wasn’t fond of. Lucky for me though, my taste buds have changed and I am enjoying my share of peppers lately! When Chris hinted he was craving stuffed peppers, I was off to the kitchen to create a different version than the more common beef and rice variety. Ground meat + lots of veggies + a sprinkle of cheese kept coming to mind, and they turned out beautifully!
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 large red bell peppers, cut in half and seeded
  • 1/2 pound ground turkey (ground chicken or beef would work too)
  • 3 tsp oil, divided
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
  • 1/2 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach, torn into pieces
  • 1 cup salsa or canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, jack or mozzerella), optional

Instructions
 

  • 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place the pepper halves cut-side down in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven and set aside.
  • 2. While peppers are baking, heat 1 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey, cumin, garlic and oregano to pan and cook until meat is browned and cooked through (about 5-7 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove meat mixture from pan and set aside.
  • 3. Add remaining 2 tsp oil to the pan along with the onion, zucchini, carrot and spinach until tender (about 5 minutes). Add turkey mixture back to the skillet and mix in the salsa/tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt and pepper.
  • 4. Fill small oven-safe bowl or ramekin halfway with water. Place bowl in the middle of the baking pan (in the middle of peppers). This will help keep turkey mixture moist while baking.
  • 5. Divide turkey mixture evenly in half-cooked peppers, place back in dish around bowl/ramekin and bake for another 12 minutes. Carefully remove from oven (be careful of splashing hot water!!!) and sprinkle peppers with shredded cheese, if using*. Return to oven and let bake another 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted, then serve!

Notes

*Recipe Notes: If you are not adding cheese to the pepper, cook peppers for 15 minutes instead of removing part of the way through.