kale and quinoa stuffed peppers

Ahhhh…casseroles. You know that fall has arrived when the casseroles start appearing.

I’ve been on a bit of a “superfood” kick recently. It can’t hurt, right? Maybe it’s my age (ahem..), but I can’t eat too much junk food anymore. Wipes. Me. Out.

This kind of food? This gives me more energy, it doesn’t deplete me. And the kale? It’s good! I’ve grown up eating all kinds of greens, but kale wasn’t one of those greens. When I learned that kale was one of the most nutrient-dense foods out there, I just had to incorporate more of it into my diet.

The other change is the use of quinoa in the place of rice since quinoa has more protein and is a better grain in general.

Normally we have always made these peppers with ground beef and rice. I’ve tried to sneak spinach in them in the past. It’s easy to sneak spinach in places, I think. Aside from the look of it, I don’t think it has an overwhelmingly obvious taste.

I enjoyed this healthier version of stuffed peppers. Hope you give them a try!

kale and quinoa stuffed peppers

Healthier stuffed bell peppers made with quinoa and kale

5 from 1 vote

Author: Marie

Print Recipe

Cook Time 55 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Ingredients

 

• 6 medium-sized bell peppers
• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cups chicken broth , divided (2 cups and 1 cup)
• 6 cups kale , washed
• 2 medium onions , diced
• 2 small cloves garlic , minced
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 oz reduced fat chedder cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Slice 4 bell peppers in half lengthwise and set aside
• Dice the remaining 2 bell peppers and set aside
• In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the quinoa and 2 cups of the chicken broth and cook according to the package directions; set aside when finished
• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and saute the onion and garlic for 1 minute; add the kale and diced bell peppers and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables have softened; remove and set aside.
• Add ground meat to the saute pan, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until no longer pink
• Season with salt and pepper
• Fold the quinoa and vegetables into the ground meat and mix well
• Arrange halved peppers in a baking casserole dish and fill with quinoa-vegetable-meat mixture
• Pour 1 cup of chicken broth into bottom of casserole dish and then cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes
• Remove foil, top with cheese and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until cheese has melted.

Interested in More Recipes? SUBSCRIBE to get recipes delivered to your email 🙂