Zesty Stuffed Bell Peppers
The options are endless when it comes to selecting ingredients to stuff bell peppers with. Additionally, you have to choose which color or colors of bell peppers to use: red, yellow, orange, or green? For my zesty stuffed bell pepper recipe, I use a combination of ground turkey, rice, tomato sauce, and cheeses to stuff green bell peppers. You need the following ingredients to make this recipe for zesty stuffed bell peppers in three steps:
8 green bell peppers, tops cut away and seeds removed
1 tbsp butter
½ cup chopped green bell peppers
½ cup chopped yellow onions
¾ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb lean ground turkey
1.5 cups of good tomato sauce
½ cup of shredded parmesan
3 cups of cooked long grain white rice
½ cup of shredded mozzarella, plus extra
In my recipe, I used Jennie-O's 93/7 lean ground turkey and Rao's tomato sauce.
Step 1
This recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked white rice. I use basmati rice, and prepare the rice according to the package directions. Once the rice is cooked, set it aside to use in the filling.
While the rice is cooking, I prepare my green bell peppers by removing the tops of each bell pepper with a sharp knife. Remove all seeds from the inside of each bell pepper. In a large pot of boiling water, parboil your cleaned bell peppers for 3-4 minutes. Carefully remove your bell peppers with a slotted spoon and allow them to dry on a paper towels. If you are new to parboiling, check this article out to find out how it can be done.
Do not discard the tops of the bell peppers. The filling calls for ½ cup of chopped green bell pepper. Remove the stems from the tops of the bell peppers and chop the tops to yield a ½ cup of chopped bell pepper, then set aside.
Here are some helpful hints for choosing bell peppers for stuffing:
I purchase my bell peppers at a local farmer’s market where they are priced at $0.59/each or $0.99/for two before tax.
I try to choose bell peppers with a nice even base, so they don’t fall over while they are cooking.
Step 2
Now that your rice is cooked and your bell peppers are prepared, its time to make the filling.
In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup of chopped yellow onion, ½ cup of chopped bell pepper, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper and sauté these ingredients for 3-4 minutes. Add the lean ground turkey to the skillet and cook until it is no longer pink. Use a spatula to break up the lumps of ground turkey. Once your ground turkey is lightly browned (this usually takes 6-7 minutes)use a spatula to guide all your ingredients to one side of the skillet, then remove the excess liquid with a large spoon.
Over low heat, add 3 cups of cooked rice, 1.5 cups of good tomato sauce, and ½ cup of shredded parmesan to the skillet. Use a spatula to mix all ingredients until fully combined.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in a 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Step 3
Time to stuff the bell peppers with the prepared filling. Stuff each parboiled bell pepper with the rice filling using a small scoop or spoon. Fill each bell pepper to the top, and top with a hefty pinch of mozzarella cheese. Place each stuffed bell pepper in a baking dish that is filled with 1/8 inch of water. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
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Dinner is ready and it is going to be ZESTY!! Don’t want to make 8 stuffed bell peppers? The filling freezes beautifully. Freeze part of it to use later. Alternately, you can or use part of the delicious filling in a bell pepper stir-fry. Similar to sheet pan dinners and casseroles, zesty stuffed bell peppers are an all-in-one meal. I like to prep this meal on Sunday to serve a day or two later. I hope you will enjoy making this meal!
-XOXO-
Sally
Zesty Stuffed Bell Peppers
8 green bell peppers, tops cut away and seeds removed
1 tbsp butter
½ cup chopped green bell peppers
½ cup chopped yellow onions
¾ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb lean ground turkey
1.5 cups of good tomato sauce
½ cup of shredded parmesan
3 cups of cooked long grain white rice
½ cup of shredded mozzarella, plus extra
STEP ONE
This recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked white rice. I use basmati rice, and prepare the rice according to the package directions. Once the rice is cooked, set it aside to use in the filling.
While the rice is cooking, I prepare my green bell peppers by removing the tops of each bell pepper with a sharp knife. Remove all seeds from the inside of each bell pepper. In a large pot of boiling water, parboil your cleaned bell peppers for 3-4 minutes. Carefully remove your bell peppers with a slotted spoon and allow them to dry on a paper towels.
Do not discard the tops of the bell peppers. The filling calls for ½ cup of chopped green bell pepper. Remove the stems from the tops of the bell peppers and chop the tops to yield a ½ cup of chopped bell pepper, then set aside.
STEP TWO
Now that your rice is cooked and your bell peppers are prepared, its time to make the filling.
In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup of chopped yellow onion, ½ cup of chopped bell pepper, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper and sauté these ingredients for 3-4 minutes. Add the lean ground turkey to the skillet and cook until it is no longer pink. Use a spatula to break up the lumps of ground turkey. Once your ground turkey is lightly browned (this usually takes 6-7 minutes) use a spatula to guide all your ingredients to one side of the skillet, then remove the excess liquid with a large spoon.
Over low heat, add 3 cups of cooked rice, 1.5 cups of good tomato sauce, and ½ cup of shredded Parmesan to the skillet. Use a spatula to mix all ingredients until fully combined. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in a ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
STEP THREE
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Time to stuff the bell peppers with the prepared filling. Stuff each parboiled bell pepper with the rice filling using a small scoop or spoon. Fill each bell pepper to the top, and top with a hefty pinch of mozzarella cheese. Place each stuffed bell pepper in a baking dish that is filled with 1/8 inch of water. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.