Chicken & Quinoa–Stuffed Bell Peppers
For an eye-catching contrast of colors, try using red or tricolor quinoa. To save time, buy the frozen spinach that’s already chopped and thaw it in your fridge overnight; just be sure to squeeze it dry before using.
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To learn about the health benefits of bell peppers, click here.
Ingredients
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 4 green bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 2 cups jarred or boxed unsalted tomato sauce, divided
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1 tsp each dried basil, thyme and rosemary
- 1/2 tsp each smoked paprika, sea salt, ground black pepper and red pepper flakes
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 10-oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a small pot, bring ¾ cup broth to a boil. Add quinoa, return to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. Fill a separate large pot with water and bring to a boil; cook green peppers until tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, whisk together 1 cup tomato sauce, remaining ¼ cup broth and oregano. Arrange peppers over sauce, skin side down. Set aside.
- In a large deep skillet, heat ½ tsp oil on medium-high. Add chicken, basil, thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt, black pepper and pepper flakes and cook, breaking up chicken with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken mixture to a plate and set aside.
- In same skillet still on medium-high, heat remaining 1½ tsp oil. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in chicken mixture, quinoa, spinach and remaining 1 cup tomato sauce and vinegar until well combined and heated through. Spoon into peppers, dividing evenly. Cover with foil and bake just until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. To serve, top peppers with sauce from baking dish.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 2 stuffed pepper halves
- Calories 345
- Carbohydrate Content 31 g
- Cholesterol Content 98 mg
- Fat Content 14 g
- Fiber Content 8 g
- Protein Content 29 g
- Saturated Fat Content 3 g
- Sodium Content 408 mg
- Sugar Content 10 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 3 g