These Turkey Stuffed Peppers are an easy, healthy dinner recipe that the family will love! Full of ground turkey, brown rice, salsa, cheese and extra veggies!
I don’t know about you, but any meal I can make ahead about mix and match with whatever leftovers I have going on in the fridge is a total win.
And if it’s healthy, cheesy goodness that the kids will eat, too?
It makes it onto the menu of Regulars.
These Turkey Stuffed Peppers are all of that and more.
They’re made with cooked ground turkey (you can substitute leftover cooked turkey of any kind!), cooked brown rice, finely chopped spinach (the kids won’t even know it’s in there ? ), salsa and seasonings for incredible flavor and covered in a crown of melty cheese.
Often when we’re talking stuffed peppers people use ground beef, but it’s time to think turkey! I love swapping beef with ground turkey as it is such a versatile protein and easily takes on a wide variety of different flavours.
Mixing up your meal plan to include more turkey is a great way to support Canadian turkey farmers, and these Turkey Stuffed Peppers are an easy, nutritious meal that the family will be begging you to make again!
How to make Stuffed Peppers:
- Mix up your filling: ground turkey, rice, salsa, seasoning, and some chopped spinach for good measure.
- Slice the sides off of your bell peppers — I know some people lop off the top and have these super tall stuffed peppers, but I like laying them sidewise as they’re easier to eat and there’s less of a chance they’ll fall over.
- Stuff ’em.
- Top with cheese, add a splash of water (this helps the peppers to steam and soften slightly) cover and bake!
- Watch the family devour them with satisfaction.
Variations on these Turkey Stuffed Peppers:
There are so many ways to mix up this stuffed peppers recipe!
- Use leftover roasted turkey instead of ground turkey.
- Add in a variety of other vegetables, finely chopped or shredded, that your family loves.
- Use leftover cooked quinoa or barley instead of rice if that’s what you have (or you can skip it altogether).
- Use a new variety of salsa for a fun and flavorful twist.
- Spice it up and top with Jalapeno Monterey Jack instead of mozzarella.
How to prep these Stuffed Peppers ahead:
One thing I absolutely love about this recipe is that I can prep it ahead and stash it in the fridge for a day or two until I need it. This makes it a great recipe for busy families who don’t always have hours to spend cooking every night.
Simply assemble completely, cover with foil, and refrigerate up to 48 hours, provided all of your ingredients were fresh when you started.
When needed, just pop right in the oven with the foil and bake!
Another option is to prepare the filling in advance, then refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months before using.
*This post is generously sponsored by Canadian Turkey and I was compensated for my time in creating this recipe. All opinions are my own. Visit thinkturkey.ca for delicious recipes
Turkey Stuffed Peppers
These Turkey Stuffed Peppers are an easy, healthy dinner recipe that the family will love! Full of ground turkey, brown rice, salsa, cheese and extra veggies!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 5 servings
Calories 384kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups mild tomato salsa
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup spinach frozen, thawed, drained and squeeze (or 1/2 cup fresh chopped)
- 5 bell peppers halved, core in but seeds removed
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
In a medium pan over medium-high heat, cook and stir ground turkey, salt, chili powder and pepper until browned.
Place turkey in a medium bowl and stir in rice, salsa, 1 cup cheese and spinach. (The filling can easily be made ahead — see post for notes)
Place pepper halves in a 9×13″ baking dish.
Fill pepper halves with filling and divide remaining 1 cup cheese between peppers. Pour water in the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray a piece of foil with non stick spray and cover peppers.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until tender. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes, broiling if desired, to brown cheese slightly.
Notes
*NOTE: one serving is two halves.
Nutrition (this is an estimate)
Nutrition Facts
Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 384 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 85mg 28%
Sodium 1119mg 47%
Potassium 845mg 24%
Total Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Sugars 8g
Protein 35g 70%
Vitamin A 92.5%
Vitamin C 186.5%
Calcium 26.9%
Iron 12.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
