Stoplight Stuffed Peppers

It seems as though this is the week of "stuffed" recipes.  I tried another new one tonight, stuffed peppers.  Peppers were on sale this week and I love the red, yellow, and orange varieties the most - but I got some green too just so I could have a pretty picture for you!

3 large peppers (any colors will do)

1 pound ground turkey breast

1/2 large onion chopped

1 Tsp dried Italian seasoning

1/4 Tsp salt

1/4 Tsp black pepper

1 (8.5 ounce) package precooked whole grain brown rice (I know this is not the healthiest choice, but it makes for a very quick addition to the stuffing if you are in a rush.  If not you can always cook up some brown rice - about a cup and use that)

1 to 1.5 cups tomato basil pasta sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic)

1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella

1. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, discard seeds and membranes.  Place pepper halves cut side up in an 11 x 8 inch baking dish.  Microwave on high 6-9 minutes or until tender.  The bigger the peppers, the longer they take to cook so test them as you go.

2. While peppers cook, heat a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook turkey and onion until no longer pink, stirring to crumble.  Draining shouldn't be necessary if using the ground turkey breast. 

3. Stir in dried Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, cooked rice, and pasta sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until warm, stirring occasionally. 

This is everything but the pasta sauce

 4. Fill pepper halves with the turkey mixture, sprinkle evenly with cheese.  Microwave on high 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Everything but the cheese

This was a pretty quick and easy dinner.  There was enough filling left over that another 4 or more pepper halves could have been filled.  The leftover filling could be used as a main dish with a different vegetable side or as a salad topping.