Hearty Turkey Stuffed Peppers

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Rice. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. 

These Hearty Turkey Stuffed Peppers are my ultimate comfort food meal & make tasty leftovers!

Last month, we invited two of our close friends over for dinner. We hadn’t been able to attend their wedding this summer so we wanted to do something special to celebrate with them. Making food for friends and family is one of my love languages. It’s a simple way to show people that you care for them, especially when you share one of your favorite recipes like these hearty Turkey Stuffed Peppers.

Our friend is gluten free though, so I was trying to be careful about what I chose to make. I have some knowledge on cooking gluten free, but I am no expert. I knew I could make these Turkey Stuffed Peppers gluten free for her, though. Plus, if I made it for dinner, I could share it with all of you!

Important note: This meal was gluten free for my friend. Different people have different sensitivities though so make sure you check with any gluten free guest first.

It might seem strange, but this meal is one of my ultimate comfort food dinners. It’s not as heavy as some other comfort food meals like mac and cheese, but it’s hearty and filled with the perfect amount of rice, cheese, and veggies. My rice of choice is Minute® Multi-Grain Medley. It is a blend of 4 gluten free grains – brown rice, Thai red rice, wild rice and quinoa. The slightly nutty flavor pairs well with the sweet bell peppers.

And the best part? Minute® Rice is ready in 10 minutes and reliable. I always have a box of Minute® Brown Rice, Minute® White Rice, and Minute® Multi-Grain Medley in our pantry. No joke! I love having them on hand to use with a variety of recipes. Plus, with back to school season in full swing, Minute Rice makes dinner so much easier. Delicious in these Turkey Stuffed Peppers (which also makes awesome leftovers) but also great alongside a simple chicken breast or pork chop. 

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Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Course: Main

Author: Maggie @ The Love Nerds

Ingredients

• 4 large bell peppers I like using red, yellow or orange and try to find ones nice and round to stuff
• 1 lb lean chopped turkey meat
• garlic powder to season meat 1-2 tablespoons roughly
• Minced garlic to taste I usually do 1-2 tablespoons
• 1 small white onion chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• ½ cup small diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• shredded cheese for topping I use reduced fat Mexican blend
• 1 cup black beans optional

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cook your rice, following the directions for the rice you are using.
3. Put your ground turkey into a medium-large saute pan and season with garlic powder. Start browning the meat.
4. About half way through browning the meat, add the chopped onion, the garlic and the cilantro to the pan. Cook until the meat is completely browned and the onion is a little translucent.
5. Add 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, 1/2 cup small diced tomatoes and 1 cup of chicken broth. Mix well and simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the cooked rice into the meat mixture and stir together. If you feel like it needs more moisture, add extra tomato sauce and tomatoes.
7. If desired, add a cup of (rinsed) black beans into the mixture and stir.
8. Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove all the seeds. Then, place in a baking dish. I use a 9x13 glass Pyrex dish.
9. Spoon the meat mixture into each pepper half, filling it as much as possible. Then, pour enough chicken broth into the pan to cover the entire bottom in a thin layer. Cover tight with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. When done, just top with shredded cheese and dig in!

Did you know that September is National Rice Month? The USA Rice Federation started this holiday to recognize this staple that’s been in America’s homes and stomachs for so many years. So not that you needed an excuse to head out to stock up on Minute Rice and make these Turkey Stuffed Peppers, but now you have one just in case! Plus, for more recipe ideas and special offers from Minute® Rice sent straight to your inbox, join The Riceipe Club®.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Rice. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

If you like this idea, you might like these other rice recipes!