Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers with Turkey, Black Beans & Cheddar

Name: Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers with Turkey, Black Beans & Cheddar
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 6 large (about 8 oz each) (1350 g) large bell peppers (any color), tops sliced off and set aside, stems removed, ribs and seeds scooped out; ¾ cup (180 ml) canned tomato sauce, spread in the bottom of the baking dish; ¼ cup (60 ml) water, stirred into the tomato sauce in the dish; ¾ cup (130 g) white quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh sieve for 30 seconds and drained; 1½ cups (360 ml) water, for cooking the quinoa; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil; 1 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup); 1 pound (454 g) ground turkey, 93% lean, raw, broken into small pieces; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin; 1 teaspoon (3 g) chili powder; 1 teaspoon (2½ g) smoked paprika; 1¼ teaspoons (7 g) kosher salt, plus a pinch for the quinoa water if you like; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 can (15 oz) (425 g) canned black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups beans); 1 cup (240 ml) canned tomato sauce; 1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, stirred into the filling; ½ cup (57 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping; 2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender baked bell peppers filled with cumin-spiced ground turkey, fluffy quinoa, black beans and tomato sauce, then finished with melted cheddar. A complete, high-protein dinner in one dish.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 35 min
Makes: 6 stuffed peppers (1 per serving)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the peppers
6 large (about 8 oz each) (1350 g) large bell peppers (any color), tops sliced off and set aside, stems removed, ribs and seeds scooped out
¾ cup (180 ml) canned tomato sauce, spread in the bottom of the baking dish
¼ cup (60 ml) water, stirred into the tomato sauce in the dish
For the filling
¾ cup (130 g) white quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh sieve for 30 seconds and drained
1½ cups (360 ml) water, for cooking the quinoa
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 pound (454 g) ground turkey, 93% lean, raw, broken into small pieces
3 cloves (10 g) garlic, minced
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (3 g) chili powder
1 teaspoon (2.5 g) smoked paprika
1¼ teaspoons (7 g) kosher salt, plus a pinch for the quinoa water if you like
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 can (15 oz) (425 g) canned black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups beans)
1 cup (240 ml) canned tomato sauce
1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, stirred into the filling
To finish
½ cup (57 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping
2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Equipment (7)

9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish
Large (12-inch / 30 cm) skillet or sauté pan with a lid
Medium saucepan with a tight lid (2–3 quart / 2–3 L)
Fine-mesh sieve
Aluminum foil
Instant-read thermometer
Sharp knife and cutting board

Steps

Before you start

Choose large peppers of similar size that can stand upright; trim a thin slice off any wobbly bottoms, but don't cut a hole.
Shred the cheddar from a block if you can; it melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
Place an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) before you start filling.
Open the tomato sauce can and measure out 1 cup (240 ml) for the filling and 3/4 cup (180 ml) for the baking dish. Any leftover sauce can be used in the pan.

1
Preheat and prep peppersOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C).
- Slice about ½ inch off the stem end of each pepper, remove the stems, and scoop out the ribs and seeds.
- Finely chop about ½ cup of the trimmed pepper tops (discard the rest or snack on them) and set aside with the onion.
- In the 9×13-inch dish, stir together the 3/4 cup tomato sauce and 1/4 cup water and spread evenly over the bottom.
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Ready when: Peppers are hollow with no seeds or white ribs; the oven is fully preheated.
Tip: Trim a sliver off any pepper that tips over so it stands straight, but avoid cutting through the bottom or the filling will leak.
2
Cook the quinoa
- In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa and 1½ cups (360 ml) water.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove from the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
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Ready when: All the water is absorbed and the grains are tender with tiny white spirals (germ rings) visible.
Tip: Rinsing removes the natural coating that can make quinoa taste bitter or soapy.
3
Brown turkey and onion
- While the quinoa cooks, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add the onion and the chopped pepper tops and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes until softened.
- Add the ground turkey, 1¼ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, breaking the meat into small crumbles with a spoon, until no pink remains.
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Ready when: Turkey is opaque white-gray throughout with no pink, and the onion is soft and translucent.
Tip: Don't stir constantly for the first minute or two; letting the meat sit briefly gives it better browning.
4
Bloom the spices
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika to the turkey and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
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Ready when: The spices smell toasty and the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
Tip: If the pan looks dry and the spices stick, add a splash of water to loosen them.
5
Mix the filling
- Add the cooked quinoa, black beans and 1 cup (240 ml) tomato sauce to the skillet.
- Stir over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until hot and thick.
- Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup (113 g) of the cheddar.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
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Ready when: The mixture is thick and scoopable, not soupy, with the cheese melted in.
Tip: If the filling looks wet, simmer another minute; extra liquid pools in the peppers and makes them soggy.
6
Stuff the peppers
- Stand the peppers upright and snugly in the baking dish on top of the sauce.
- Spoon the filling into each pepper, pressing it down gently with the back of a spoon and mounding it slightly at the top.
- Each pepper holds about 1 cup of filling.
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Ready when: Every pepper is filled to the rim and standing upright without leaning.
Tip: Fill any leftover filling into the gaps around the peppers, or save it for lunch.
7
Bake coveredOven 375°F / 190°C
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35 minutes, until the peppers have softened and the filling is steaming.
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Ready when: A knife slides easily into the side of a pepper and the filling registers at least 165°F (74°C) in the center.
Tip: Tent the foil so it doesn't touch the cheese-free filling tops; tight foil keeps the steam in so peppers soften.
8
Top and finish bakingOven 375°F / 190°C
- Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup (57 g) cheddar over the peppers.
- Return to the oven uncovered and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly bubbling at the edges.
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Ready when: Cheese is fully melted with a few golden spots; the filling is 165°F (74°C) in the center.
Tip: Use oven mitts and open the foil away from your face to avoid a burst of hot steam.
9
Rest and serve
- Let the peppers rest in the dish for 5 minutes so the filling sets.
- Sprinkle with cilantro if using.
- Serve each pepper with a spoonful of the tomato sauce from the bottom of the dish.
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Ready when: Cheese has set slightly and the peppers hold their shape when lifted.
Tip: Use a large spoon and a spatula together to lift each pepper so it doesn't split.

Good to know

Tips

Choose peppers with flat bottoms and 3–4 lobes; they stand best.
If your peppers are especially large or thick-walled, bake covered for an extra 5–10 minutes before adding the cheese.
Don't skip rinsing the quinoa, or the filling can taste bitter.
Bake smaller peppers that don't fit upright cut in half lengthwise, in a single layer, and reduce the covered baking time by about 5 minutes.

Make ahead

"Assemble the peppers up to 1 day ahead: fill them, place in the sauce-lined dish, cover and refrigerate. Bake covered for 45 minutes at 375°F (190°C), then uncover, add the cheese, and bake 10 minutes more, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C)."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: cool completely and store covered for up to 4 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat covered at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes (frozen-then-thawed) or microwave 2–3 minutes, until 165°F (74°C) in the center."

Substitutions

ground turkey, 93% lean → ground chicken, lean ground beef, or 2 cups cooked lentils. Beef or chicken cook the same way and need to reach 160°F/165°F; for a vegetarian version use lentils and skip the browning time.
white quinoa → cooked brown rice (about 2¼ cups). Use leftover rice and skip the quinoa-cooking step; the filling will be a bit softer.
sharp cheddar cheese → Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese. Pepper jack adds mild heat; use the same amounts for both the filling and topping.
canned black beans → pinto beans or kidney beans. Use the same amount, drained and rinsed.