GF Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
An Easy Weeknight Winner
I’ve recently rediscovered our Instant Pot and I am LOVING it. I can make chicken in 15 minutes, and batch cook things like rice and GF oatmeal in no time. I love any recipe that involves minimal time and one pot (who doesn’t?) So this week, I decided to make turkey and quinoa stuffed peppers with black beans in the Instant Pot to see how quickly I could pull dinner together. The results did not disappoint. Don’t have an instant pot? Don’t worry, you can do this in the oven too.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 large bell peppers, cut off tops and seeds removed
1 lbs. ground turkey
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes (fire roasted is great, but not necessary)
1/2 cup black beans
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tablespoons favorite GF taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup shredded cheese (Mexican blend, cheddar, or your favorite cheese)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
Prep your peppers, and leave them to the side, hollowed out. Dice 1 onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil to the Instant Pot insert, and put on the sautee setting. Add the onion and garlic. After 5-7 minutes, add the 1 lbs. ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning. Cook until turkey is fully browned, about 10 minutes.
Off heat, mix together the cooked turkey mixture, 1 cup cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup black beans, one 14 oz can diced tomatoes. Pro tip: I used fire roasted tomatoes for this and it was delicious. Stir to combine.
Stuff each bell pepper with the turkey-quinoa mixture. Pour 1 cup chicken broth into the Instant Pot. Place the stuffed bell peppers into the Instant Pot, stacking them if necessary.
Close the Instant Pot lid and set to manual high pressure for 8 minutes. Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure. Remove the stuffed peppers from the Instant Pot.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro before serving. Enjoy!
Oven Alternative: The biggest difference with using the oven is the need to pre-roast the peppers, so they are fully cooked. Once your peppers are hollowed out, place them in the baking dish - alone - drizzle with olive oil, and roast on 350 for 20 minutes.
Use a pan to cook the veggies and meat. Once the meat is browned and the peppers have come out of the oven, place peppers in a baking dish, stuff with turkey-quinoa mixture, top with cheese, and bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, top with cilantro, and serve!