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Turkey and Pesto Stuffed Bell Peppers

Categories Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthy Recipes, Main Course

I love stuffed bell peppers and these turkey and pesto stuffed bell peppers are no exception. They are a major comfort food for me, they are also fairly healthy too. The pesto and turkey work together with tomatoes, optional sun-dried tomatoes and cheese to and a tasty dinner.

I listed sun-dried tomatoes as an optional ingredient because they aren’t always in the pantry and can be a little expensive, you don’t have to add them to the recipe but they do add a little extra, so if you have them I would suggest you use them.

I boil my peppers before baking in this recipe, it saves time and also keeps the rice moist and soft. You can always keep them raw and bake them until they are

What you need to make turkey and pesto stuffed bell peppers:

Serves 6 adults

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic – minced
  • 2 cups cooked rice – you could use cauliflower rice too if you are wanting a low carb meal
  • 1 – 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • Optional – 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons pesto
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese – plus more for a sprinkle of cheese on the tops
  • 4 bell peppers
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Prepare the rice and set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  3. Slice peppers in half vertically so the stem is sliced in half, half of it being on each side, remove the core with seeds but leave the stem so pepper half forms a nice cup that will hold filling.
  4. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes or until a fork can pierce them easily. Drain peppers and place in a casserole pan to be filled.
  5. In a pan, add ground turkey, salt and garlic and cook until the turkey is cooked through.
  6. Add rice, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes(if adding them), pesto and Parmesan cheese. Stir together until all ingredients are warm and well mixed.
  7. Spoon mixture into each pepper half, I always heap mine up high and pack it into each pepper.
  8. Sprinkle tops with mozzarella and Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes.
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Here are a few other stuffed pepper recipes I love:

Print Recipe
4.50 from 4 votes

Turkey and Pesto Stuffed Bell Peppers

Pesto, rice, turkey, tomatoes and cheese make a delicious and healthy comfort food.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Dinner, healthy, Main Course
Cuisine: comfort food, Italian
Keyword: Bell Peppers, Italian, pesto, Rice, Turkey
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic – minced
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 – 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes – optional
  • 3 tablespoons pesto
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese – plus more for a sprinkle of cheese on the tops
  • 4 bell peppers
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Prepare the rice and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Slice peppers in half vertically so the stem is sliced in half, half of it being on each side, remove the core with seeds but leave the stem so pepper half forms a nice cup that will hold filling.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and add peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes or until a fork can pierce them easily. Drain peppers and place in a casserole pan to be filled.
  • In a pan, add ground turkey, salt and garlic and cook until the turkey is cooked through.
  • Add rice, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes(if adding them), pesto and Parmesan cheese. Stir together until all ingredients are warm and well mixed.
  • Spoon mixture into each pepper half, I always heap mine up high and pack it into each pepper.
  • Sprinkle tops with mozzarella and Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Serve and enjoy!