Stuffed peppers were always a staple in my house, growing up. My mom usually made them once every other week, and I can still remember the taste of that delicious beef and rice filling!
My healthier version consists of a quinoa and ground chicken filling. It’s mixed with a tangy tomato sauce, seasoned with Italian herbs and topped with a bit of mozzarella cheese. It’s delicious, filling! And I have to say, it is SOOOOO good. Even better than the one my mom makes — but please don’t tell her that. :)
My kids love it too which is a HUGE plus. I also love how quick and easy this is to prepare, so it’s great for a busy weeknight dinner. I usually pair this with some fresh roasted vegetables and or a salad for a complete meal.
QUINOA AND CHICKEN STUFFED PEPPERS RECIPE
Ingredients
Servings: servings
- 6 bell peppers - (halved and seeded)
- 2 lbs ground chicken breast
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 medium yellow onion - (finely diced)
- 4 cloves garlic - (minced)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 ½ cups canned tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tbsp dried parsley
- ⅓ cup fresh basil - (chopped)
- 1 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese - (shredded)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions.
- Preheat oven to 350, and coat a large 11” x 13” baking dish with nonfat cooking spray.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add in chicken, dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley and salt and pepper, and cook until meat is no longer pink. Use a wooden spoon to break apart the meat while cooking.
- Stir in tomato sauce, and mix to combine, Remove from heat.
- Combine the chicken mixture and the prepared quinoa in a large bowl. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into each pepper half. Then top each one with mozzarella cheese (about 1 tbsp each).
- Place in oven, and cook for about 30 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is melted and golden. Top with fresh basil before serving.
Notes
The entire recipe makes 6 servings
The serving size is 2 stuffed pepper halves
Nutrition
Calories: 316 kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 26.1 g (9%)Protein: 33.9 g (68%)Fat: 9.2 g (14%)Saturated Fat: 1.8 g (11%)Cholesterol: 79 mg (26%)Sodium: 541 mg (24%)Potassium: 1008 mg (29%)Fiber: 4.4 g (18%)Sugar: 9.8 g (11%)Calcium: 140 mg (14%)Iron: 2.7 mg (15%)
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