Easy (Ground Turkey and Rice) Stuffed Bell Peppers

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse peppers in cold water and remove the tops and seeds. Use a spoon to remove excess membrane and seeds (be careful not to puncture the bottom or sides of the pepper!).

Place peppers in the boiling water for approximately 3 minutes. Skin should be slightly softened. Drain and set aside to cool.

At this point, if you aren’t using instant rice, it’s a good time to cook up that rice. I used a special blend from TJ’s of rice, orzo and pilaf but any rice will do. Melt butter in a saucepan and brown rice over low heat (you can skip this step, but why wouldn’t you want buttery, delicious rice??). Then follow cooking instructions on your package of rice once the rice has slightly browned.

While the rice cooks, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and brown ground turkey and onions in olive oil over medium heat. Once turkey starts to brown, add chopped garlic and cook for another minute or two. Then add tomato sauce and cook until heated through. Stir in rice.

Fill peppers evenly with the rice mixture and top with shredded cheese (I used a light Mexican blend), if desired. Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10 minutes.