Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

In our house leftovers typically find itself incorporated in a new meal sometime during the week. The leftover spicy corn and pepper quinoa salad made a great addition to the quinoa stuffed peppers that I made the other night. Surprisingly little Lucy even enjoyed the filling portion of the peppers and had it again for dinner the next day!


*If you don't have any left over quinoa, it's just as easy to make a fresh batch,
** I have made this with brown rice many times and it tastes great, just a little on the heavier/more filling side.
*** Cutting the peppers in half vs. cutting off the top works better portion wise.

Before.

After.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

- 2 red, yellow, or orange pepper (pick 2 that you prefer)

- 1 lb of ground beef

- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- salt and pepper

- 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

- 1 teaspoon of cumin (optional)

- 1 teaspoon of dried parsley (optional)

- 1 teaspoon of oregano (optional)

- 1 cup of corn or hominy (optional)

- 2 cups of cooked quinoa

- sliced cheddar cheese (for the top)

- 1 bottle of pasta sauce of your choice (I typically only use 3/4 of the jar)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. In a large saucepan, saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. 

2. Add ground beef and break up into small chunks as it browns in the pan. 

3. Add seasoning (cayenne pepper, cumin, dried parsley, and oregano).

4. Mix in cooked quinoa, corn and/or hominy. 

5. Add pasta sauce (we used spicy basil tomato) until everything is nicely coated in the sauce.

6. Spoon mixture into halved peppers. Use the excess mixture as a bed for the peppers. Place filled peppers on mixture in a oven safe vessel. 

7. Bake for 45 minutes, top with sliced cheese halfway through. 

This recipe is filling and super satisfying, please feel free to add other ingredients to this like broccoli or black beans. We always have corn and hominy on hand so that is what we like to use! Enjoy.