Healthy Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey

Ingredients

• 6 large bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
• 1 1/4 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 zucchini, finely diced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice or cauliflower rice
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• Fresh chopped parsley or basil, for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the peppers upright in a 9×13 baking dish. If they wobble, slice a paper-thin sliver off the bottom (without cutting through).

2. 2

   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes. Add the turkey and cook 6–8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains.

3. 3

   Stir in the garlic and zucchini; cook 2 minutes to soften. This adds a hidden vegetable and stretches the filling without extra calories.

4. 4

   Add the drained tomatoes, cooked brown rice, tomato paste, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer 4 minutes until thickened and glossy.

5. 5

   Divide the turkey mixture evenly among the peppers, mounding it slightly. Pour 1/2 cup water into the bottom of the dish (this steams the peppers tender without adding sodium).

6. 6

   Cover tightly with foil and bake 25 minutes.

7. 7

   Uncover, sprinkle each pepper with mozzarella, and bake 10 more minutes until the cheese is melted and the peppers are fork-tender.

8. 8

   Rest 5 minutes, then top with fresh parsley or basil. Each pepper delivers roughly 30g of protein.