SPICY STUFFED PEPPERS

GROUND TURKEY + WILD RICE +  BLACK BEANS + TOMATOES

There's so many ways to stuff bell peppers, but this spicy dish is by far my favorite! It has the perfect ratio of meat to rice and beans. Ironically, it's packed with kale that's so well disguised, no one will even know it's there. I cooked this recipe for my family and they assumed it was some sort of green herb like parsley or chives. They were shocked to find out it's kale. 

Prep Time:
​1 hour

Cook Time:
​30 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour and 30 minutes

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 6 bell peppers (preferably red, yellow, or orange)
• 1 pound ground turkey (use more turkey for a meatier stuffed pepper)
• 1 box wild rice
• 1 can black beans 
• 1 can peeled diced tomatoes
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• 1 bag kale
• 1  white onion 
• Cayenne pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer Mexican four cheese)
• Sour cream (magnificent combo if you're going the spicy route)

DIRECTIONS

1. Finely dice up a quarter of onion.  I used a food processor to save time. Sauté onions in a small skillet. Set aside. 
2. Cook ground turkey in a skillet until fully cook. Season as desired. I recommend adding in the cayenne now if you're interested in the dish being spicy. Otherwise, leave the cayenne out. Once meat is nearly cooked, add in onions. Pour out all of the liquid in the diced tomatoes and add to cooked meat. 
3. Cook rice according to the directions on the the package. 
4. While rice is cooking, pour out most of the liquid in the beans and warm up in a small pot on low heat. Don't forget to use non-stick cooking spray. Stir moderately just to ensure they don't stick or become dry. Rinse kale and let dry. Finely chop kale in food processor. Use as much kale as desired. Once processed, kale should be the size of a dried herb. 
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
6. In a large bowl, mix meat, beans, rice, and kale. 
7. Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and remove all the contents. I use a spoon to scrap everything out of the peppers. Rinse the peppers to clean and remove any remaining seeds. 
8. Apply non-stick cooking spray to a medium sized pan. A pan where the peppers can lean on one another is best. If any of the peppers can't stand on their own, carefully cut the buttom to create a flat surface. Again, a pan where the peppers are close to one another will help with this.
9. Generously stuff each pepper and place in greased cooking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Add shredded cheese and bake until melted. 
10. In a small saucepan, heat desired amount of tomato sauce at low heat. Add red pepper flakes to make the sauce spicy. I recommend putting the sauce on the pepper once it's plated rather than drenching all the peppers in sauce. 
11. Enjoy!

THE SPICE IS REAL

If you were heavy handed with the cayenne, I know you're getting a feisty kick that has you grateful for the side of sour cream. I'm always impressed with myself when I make something spicier than I anticipated. It forces me to slow down for relief from the heat and enjoy every delectable bite. 

If you're not opposed to adding a starchy vegetable, I'd recommend corn. If you're trying to cut back on carbs, I'd recommend cooking less rice and adding more meat, or take the rice out entirely. 

I always find that eating an entire pepper can be a lot of food, so I like to pair it with something light like a salad. I'm curious to know what else you would pair with this dish and how you put your own twist on it. Let me know in the comments below!

​Until next time, stay beYOUtiful, keep life sweet, and never stop feeding your soul. -xo