These healthier stuffed peppers swap the usual rice for protein-packed quinoa, turkey sausage, and zucchini for an Italian-inspired all-in-one dinner that the whole family will love.
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“I will definitely be making this again! The fennel is what MAKES THIS RECIPE, so don’t omit it!” -Tara, FoodieCrush reader
Nutrient-Dense Meals Don’t Have to Be Bland or Boring!
The other day I read that the day of the family dinner plate being made up of a main protein (meat, chicken, fish), a side of carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes), and then a side of veggies (carrots, broccoli, whatever is languishing in the fridge), is quickly losing ground as the best idea of what dinner should look like. I grew up on the same idea of that ratio and for many years followed suit.
But thanks to the popularity of meals in bowls, hearty salads served as the main meal, and more all-in-one serving options, the dinner plate has changed. And it’s not only in how we divvy out portion size, but the actual vessel our meal is served in, like using vitamin-packed vegetables such as sweet potatoes, every squash imaginable, and cabbage leaves, just to name a few.
And at our house, there’s really no more versatile vegetable-to-bowl main ingredient than the almighty bell pepper. Stuffed peppers have made plenty of appearances at our house, but this time around I wanted to make a protein-packed, veggie-loaded stuffed pepper dinner, but one that still had tons of flavor.
Let me tell you, these colorful bell peppers stuffed with turkey sausage, tomato sauce, quinoa, zucchini, and a sprinkling of grated Parm certainly deliver!
Enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Turkey Sausage
I make my own by seasoning 1 pound of ground turkey with fennel seeds, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Turkey sausage in links can be used here too, just be sure to remove the casings before cooking if using it ground. You could also chop the sausage to give the filling a chunkier bite.
Zucchini
One of my most used appliances/gadgets/kitchen helpers (besides my trusty husband behind the stove) is my spiralizer. This baby takes all the work out of chopping, dicing, or slicing the zucchini packed into these peppers. If you don’t own a spiralizer, finely dice the zucchini and call it good.
Quinoa
I added more protein-power to this dish by substituting quinoa for the traditional rice. So many love quinoa as an option for gluten-free eating that scores as one of the highest plant-based proteins out there. Here’s my favorite way to cook quinoa so it turns out light and fluffy rather than mushy and wet.
How to Make Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers
- Par-cook the bell peppres. A simple sprinkle of kosher salt to the interior of the peppers and then a 5 minute blast in the microwave pre-cooks these peppers and cuts your baking time in half.
- Cook the filling. You’ll want to sauté the zucchini first so that all of that excess moisture can evaporate off without making the quinoa soggy. Remove the zucchini to a plate before browning the ground turkey in the same skillet. Stir in the crushed tomatoes before returning the zucchini and cooked quinoa to the skillet.
- Stuff and bake. Our favorite way to stuff the peppers is to cut the tops then stand them like little soldiers in a baking dish. I use a smaller baking pan so the peppers fit snugly, holding more of the ingredients without spilling out. The peppers need to bake for about 20 minutes to finish softening the peppers and to get the filling nice and hot.
Side Dish Suggestions
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers (any color)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 2 medium zucchini , spiralized or diced (about 4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- ½ teaspoon dried fennel seed , crushed
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
- 4 cups cooked quinoa
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Par-cook the peppers. Remove the stems and core the bell peppers, removing 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 to 7 minutes or until they start to soften. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the zucchini. Spiralize or dice the zucchini. Heat 1 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the zucchini and season with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Toss the zucchini and cook until it just begins to soften, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Brown the turkey sausage. In the same pan, heat the rest of the olive oil until hot then add the ground turkey, pressed garlic, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper flakes and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until cooked almost through, stirring often.
- Finish the filling. 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.
- Stuff the peppers, then bake. Transfer the peppers to a 3-quart baking dish and fill them with the sausage and quinoa mixture. Sprinkle the tops with more Parmesan cheese if desired, and bake for 20 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is browned. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
More Stuffed Pepper Recipes You’ll Love
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Deb Riccitelli
I just found out that I’m prediabetic and I’m looking into eating much more plant based meals. I am making these stuffed peppers tonight but I was surprised to see that it has 42 carb grams. That’s a lot. Is this ok for my slightly elevated glucose? Thank you
Tara H.
I will definitely be making this again!
The fennel is what MAKES THIS RECIPE, so don’t omit it!
I found that 4 cups of quinoa was too much, so I cut it back to 1 cup cooked quinoa, and wish that I had doubled the zucchini. I thought it was odd the order of how things were cooked as usually it would go onions, then garlic, then add your meat and sauce. I simmered it much longer then recommended to help remove any excess moisture.
kranti yoga
Very nice picture. its look so delicious , loving it
Nancy
These were delicious but I had lots of leftover filling
Agen Idn Poker
Look so delicious.. yummy
sweetheart
thank you
Nathan
It may be a little too healthy for my tastes, but I’ll give it a try anyway. Turkish sausage goes well with a lot of other healthy dishes.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I hope you like it!
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Arun Roy
Very Nice idea doing the spiralized zucchini in there!
Arun Roy
Very Nice idea doing the spiralized zucchini in there! thank you very much for shearing this.