Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
These ground turkey stuffed peppers feature tender baked bell peppers jam packed with ground turkey, brown rice, fire roasted tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, marinara sauce and cheese.
Servings: 6 stuffed peppers
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers, tops and seeds removed (red, orange, yellow, green)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 lb 93/7 lean ground turkey
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1½ c brown rice, cooked
- 1 c marinara sauce
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1¼ c shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, or mozzarella)
Instructions
- 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 filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic, onion, and diced pepper for 3 to 4 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the ground turkey. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned and almost cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.
- Add the rice, fire roasted tomatoes, and marinara sauce. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in ¾ cups of cheese, warming until melted. Remove from heat.
- Remove the peppers from the oven. Spoon the filling into the peppers. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. Top the peppers with the remaining ½ cup of cheese and bake another 5 minutes, or until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Should I boil peppers before stuffing them - pre-cooking the peppers is necessary to have the peppers cook through, which can be done either by boiling or baking. Some recipes call for boiling the peppers, but we find it makes the peppers too soft. We prefer to pre-bake ours in the oven for 15 minutes before stuffing to keep them crispy.
- How do you core peppers for stuffed peppers - cut the top off of the peppers. Using your hands or a paring knife, remove the central core, seeds, and ribs (I just pull it all out with my fingers). Now the peppers are ready for stuffing.
- How many days are stuffed peppers good for - stuffed peppers are good for 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
- How long to cook stuffed peppers - at 425℉, these peppers will cook for a total of 35-40 minutes (15 minutes pre-baking, 20-25 minutes once stuffed).
- How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting watery - don't overcook the peppers. 35-40 minutes is all that's needed to get the peppers fork tender. Also, pre-cooking the peppers will release some of the water from the peppers.