These turkey and quinoa stuffed peppers are so hearty and simple with big flavors of sweet potato, butternut squash, smoked gouda and spice.
Preparation:
Cook:
Level: Easy
Ingredients
- 1 dash Olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- Salt as needed
- Black pepper, as needed
- 10 ounces, weight Butternut squash, finely diced
- 1 whole Large sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 whole Onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp Fresh sage, coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 16 ounces, liquid canned tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cups raw quinoa
- 4 whole Red peppers, halved lengthwise and cored
- 6 ounces, weight Freshly Grated Smoked Gouda
Preparation
First, start filling. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep-sided skillet, then brown the ground turkey. While browning, season generously with salt and pepper. Once cooked, remove it to a plate and add the butternut squash and sweet potato. Let them soften for a few minutes, then add the onion and sage. Season the vegetables with more salt and pepper along with the paprika, cinnamon, cumin and garlic powder. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute with everything. Then pour in the tomato sauce and return the turkey to the pan. Let boil gently, then reduce heat to low to cook for 15 minutes.
While this mixture cooks, cook the quinoa. Take out a medium saucepan and bring the chicken broth to a boil on the stove. Pour the quinoa and mix it with the broth. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let the quinoa cook until tender for about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir it when it’s done, then stir it into the rest of the filling mixture. Remove the fully assembled topping from the heat. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or aluminum foil. Arrange the pepper halves on the tray, then fill them to the brim with the filling, packing them in really tight. Sprinkle the cheese generously over each stuffed pepper, then bake for 10 minutes to foam the cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!
