Greek Stuffed Peppers

Greek stuffed peppers feature tender oven-baked bell peppers crammed with a delicious filling of orzo, chickpeas, zucchini, spinach, fire roasted tomatoes, and feta cheese. This dish is healthy, wholesome, and prep-ahead friendly, making it a great dinner option for hectic weeknights.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Stuffed peppers are a great make-ahead meal and are freezer friendly, so you can pop them in the oven whenever you’re ready. Perfect for days when you’re short on time.
• This dish is a healthy, balanced dinner complete with carbs (orzo and veggies), protein (chickpeas and feta) and a little fat (feta and olive oil).
• You’ll love how versatile stuffed peppers are. You can add meat, swap out veggies, add your favorite sauce, try different grains/pastas, and even modify seasonings and end up with a completely different, delicious variation of stuffed peppers.

Ingredients

• Bell peppers – we prefer to use a mix of red, orange, and yellow peppers, which tend to be sweeter than green peppers. We also dice the tops and add it to the filling to reduce waste. Look for larger peppers with flatter bottoms so they can stand up easily on their own and hold lots of filling.
• Orzo – this small, tender pasta gives the filling some extra carbs to keep you full.
• Chickpeas – this is a meatless dish, so chickpeas add plant-based protein for a balanced meal.
• Zucchini and spinach – to sneak in some greens and extra nutrients, like fiber, antioxidants, iron and vitamin C and E.
• Yellow onion and garlic – for a little crunch and sharpness.
• Fire roasted tomatoes – adds a slightly smoky depth to the filling.
• Feta – gives these peppers a subtle tangy and lightly salty flavor as well as a touch of creaminess. Plus it adds a little extra protein and fat.
• Extra virgin olive oil – for roasting the peppers and sauteing the veggies for the filling.
• Herbs and seasonings – fresh basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper help elevate the other flavors in this dish.

How to Make Greek Stuffed Peppers

Preheat the oven to 425℉.

Cut the top off of the bell peppers. Remove the stem and set tops aside. Clean out the seeds and membranes of the bell pepper. If the bell pepper cannot stand up on its own, cut a small sliver off of the bottom until it is flat enough to stand upright. Finely dice the reserved pepper tops and set aside.

Drizzle the bell peppers with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the bell peppers in the baking dish and roast for 15 minutes, uncovered.

While the peppers roast, make the orzo and filling. Bring a large sauce pot of water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions for al dente pasta (about 7-8 minutes). You should end up with about 2 cups of cooked orzo. Set aside and make the rest of the filling.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic, onion, chickpeas, and diced pepper for 4 to 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the zucchini and cook another 3-4 minutes. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Drain any excess liquid from the pan.

Add the cooked orzo, fire roasted tomatoes, and spinach. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the feta cheese and fresh basil and remove from heat.

Remove the peppers from the oven. Drain any liquid in the bottom of the peppers. Spoon the filling into the peppers until they are slightly over full. You may have some filling leftover depending on the size of your peppers.

Bake stuffed peppers uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbling. If the topping begins to brown, tent loosely with foil to prevent burning. Serve with additional fresh basil and feta, if desired, and enjoy!

How to Store

• Refrigerate – allow the peppers to cool completely. Store peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freeze – allow the peppers to cool completely. Wrap the peppers tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and then store them in a freezer Ziploc bag. You can also store them in a freezer safe container. Keep up to 3 months.
• Reheat – preheat the oven to 350℉. Place the peppers in an oven safe dish and cover with foil to prevent burning. If reheating from the refrigerator, warm for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through. If reheating from frozen, warm for 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Recipe Variations

• Meat – this dish is meatless, but feel free to replace chickpeas (or add to them) with ground turkey, ground beef, shredded chicken, turkey sausage, or chicken sausage.
• Grains – instead of orzo, try out Israeli couscous, white or brown rice, quinoa, or farro.
• Vegetables – mix up the veggies by swapping out spinach and zucchini with mushrooms, summer squash, eggplant, or olives. Replace fire roasted tomatoes with fresh cherry, grape, or vine ripe tomatoes.
• Cheese – we love feta cheese in Greek inspired dishes, but you can also use fresh or shredded mozzarella, Gouda, Swiss, cheddar, Parmesan, or goat cheese. Really any cheese pairs well with this dish!
• Sauce – this sauce relies on the juices from the fire roasted tomatoes to make a light sauce. If you like your stuffed peppers saucier you can add a cup of marinara sauce, romesco, sundried tomato pesto, vodka sauce, or even alfredo (we love this roasted red pepper alfredo).

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our other oven-friendly dinner recipes

• Ground turkey stuffed peppers
• Ground turkey taco stuffed shells
• Sausage and spinach lasagna
• Butternut squash lasagna rolls
• Baked spaghetti squash alfredo

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