Stuffed Red Peppers

 

Friday night I planned on making some good ol vegetarian chili but my daughter wasn’t really feeling the chili idea so I suggested some stuffed peppers and she was all in. First I had to make sure her friend, who was staying the night, ate peppers. As I walked through the store I made up the recipe in my head then I made it up some more as I began to prepare it. I hope you enjoy, I know we all did.

Ingredients

4 Red Bell Peppers
½ cup Spaghetti Sauce
½ cup Cooked Quinoa
1 cup Fresh Spinach
3 diced Tomatoes or 1 14oz can
¼ cup Scallions
¼ cup Mushrooms
1tbsp Minced Garlic
¼ cup Red Onions
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese (divided)
1tsp Italian Seasoning
1tsp Lemon Pepper
1tsp Paprika
1tsp Crushed Red Pepper
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
¼ cup Vegetable Broth
1tsp Herbed Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook quinoa according to package.

Chop mushrooms and onions in a food processor. On medium heat, sauté mushrooms and onions until tender.

Mix spaghetti sauce, quinoa, spinach, tomatoes, scallions, mushrooms, garlic, onions, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, sea salt and pepper and only 1 cup of mozzarella cheese in a large bowl.

Cut the tops off the red peppers and set the tops to the side, remove the inside and seeds. Stuff the peppers with the mix, place in a 9x9 glass baking dish, pour vegetable broth in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the peppers from the oven and uncover, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the peppers and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown.

Remove the peppers from the oven and sprinkle herbed parmesan cheese on top.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Note: You can use all fresh ingredients instead of canned/jar items if you choose. Also, if vegetarian isn’t for you, add meat.

And…It Is What It Is!