Stuffed bell peppers are a great way to make a filling, delicious dinner that makes the most of a limited quantity of meat--in this case, relatively inexpensive ground turkey. The baked stuffed peppers are so full of flavor that no one will notice that you didn't include huge amounts of meat in the dish. Ground turkey is lighter in taste (and sometimes fat) than ground beef, and so plenty of vegetables and spices increase the flavor. I like to use cooked bulgur in the dish, which adds texture, fiber, and flavor, but you can substitute cooked rice, if you'd prefer. Because green peppers are less nutrient-rich and harder on the digestion than colored peppers, I recommend using red, yellow, or orange varieties for the dish. That said, if you have only green peppers available, go for them. They'll work. The stuffed peppers are great served with mashed potatoes or bread and a salad. Enjoy!
Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers -- Serves 6
1 medium chopped onion
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
3 large sweet bell peppers
1 - 1 1/2 cups of cooked bulgur or rice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1-2 teaspoons of Italian herb seasoning
1 large egg
16-20 ounces of lean ground turkey (93 percent or so)
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (optional but good)
15-16 ounce can of diced tomatoes (Italian-style, if possible)
1/2 cup of barbecue sauce (whatever you like)
Grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle (1-2 tablespoons)
Chopped parsley to sprinkle
Coat a large baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the peppers in half, then into quarters, removing and discarding the tough green stem and inside membranes and seeds (save the part of the pepper around the stems). Take 3-4 of the quartered pepper pieces and the bits of pepper from around the stems and chop them up into 1/2-inch pieces or so. Put the remainder of the pepper slices in the baking dish, arranging them to fit, cut side up. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chopped onion, chopped pepper pieces, garlic, and a tablespoon or so of water. Microwave the vegetables for a couple of minutes or until they are softened/crisp-tender. Stir the bulgur/rice into the vegetables, then add the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and egg and mix to combine everything. Crumble in the ground turkey and mix it in. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, if you want to use it. Mix in half the can of diced tomatoes and half of the barbecue sauce. Top/stuff each bell pepper slice with some of the ground turkey mixture (you'll need to mound the mixture). Combine the remaining diced tomatoes and barbecue sauce and pour the mixture over the stuffed peppers. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese evenly. Bake the stuffed peppers for about an hour or until they are deeply browned on top and bubbly. Let the peppers cool a few minutes and sprinkle on some chopped parsley, if you'd like, before serving them.
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