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Healthy zucchini noodle stuffed peppers

Zucchini Noodle, Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Maggie Michalczyk, RDN
A fun way to use zucchini noodles, these stuffed peppers with quinoa and turkey are sure to be a delicious addition to your weekly meal rotation! Easy to make and packed with protein and nutrition!  
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 stuffed peppers

Ingredients
  

  • 6 bell peppers any colors will work
  • 1 cup quinoa cooked
  • 1 lb ground turkey opt for 93% lean
  • 2 medium zucchini spiralized
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil divided
  • 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • 2. Cut around the top of the pepper, removing the stem, and all of the seeds, then rinse. Lightly sprinkle the inside of the peppers with kosher salt and place in a microwave safe dish with ¼ cup water. Microwave for 5 minutes until they start to soften. Remove and set aside.
  • 3. Spiralize  the zucchini. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the zucchini and season with a sprinkle of salt. Toss the zucchini and cook until it just begins to soften, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  • 4. In the same pan, heat the rest of the olive oil until hot then add the ground turkey, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until cooked almost through, stirring often.
  • 5.Add the onion and continue to cook until the onion softens. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the quinoa and zucchini. Toss with the Parmesan cheese and the fresh basil and season to taste.
  • 6. Add the peppers to a 3 quart baking dish and fill them with the zucchini noodle and quinoa mixture. Sprinkle the tops with more Parmesan cheese if desired, and bake for 20 minutes or until peppers are softened and cheese is browned. 

Notes

You can make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the ground turkey.