guest post: turkey & rice stuffed peppers from bevy richmond

As promised, I have 2 fabulous guest posts lined up this week while I'm enjoying sun, sand, food & drinks in Florida. Here's the first!

Today’s guest recipe post comes from Emma Swann at local Richmond, Virginia (my hometown!) lifestyle blog Bevy Richmond. Emma and I are both proud Virginia Tech Hokies and share a passion for cooking, eating, and sharing wonderful food. Today she’s sharing her delicious Earth-day inspired Turkey and Rice Stuffed Peppers. I specifically asked her to share this recipe (even though she has a lot of good ones!) because I've made these and they are DELISH. Healthy and clean, too!  

Check out the recipe below, and a more detailed how-to here. Be sure to follow her blog for more delicious recipes and other local, travel, and DIY craft posts!

 

Turkey and Rice Stuffed Peppers

makes 2-3 stuffed peppers

Ingredients

½ pound ground turkey

2-3 large red or green bell peppers
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1½ cups cooked brown rice
1 can (15 ounces) organic tomato sauce
1 small can (8 ounces) diced tomatoes
¼ cup each of shredded cheddar and Parmesean cheeses
1 slice of provolone cheese
Salt, pepper, and Italian herbs seasoning to taste

Directions
 

1. Cut a thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top of pepper. Remove seeds and membranes; rinse peppers. If necessary, cut thin slice from bottom of each pepper so they stand up straight. In 4-quart Dutch oven, or large pot, add enough water to cover peppers. Heat to boiling; add peppers. Cook about 2 minutes; drain.

2. In a large skillet, cook onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add turkey and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Cook over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain.

3. Stir in 1 cup of the tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes. Stir and cook until hot, reducing heat to medium or medium-low.

4. Add in cooked rice and stir together. You may want to add more tomato sauce if you like it more liquid-y. After two minutes, add in the cheeses and mix well.

5. Line a small baking pan with a quarter inch of water and heat oven to 375 degrees. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and place carefully into the pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until tops become browned; remove and top with optional provolone cheese. Bake again for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tip: For a meatless meal, nix the turkey and add in quinoa, kale, or other veggies. I love the versatility of this dish. The next theme I want to try is either Southwestern style (ground beef, black beans, corn, cumin, paprika) or Greek style (feta, lamb, whole wheat cous cous, red onion).