santa fe turkey stuffed peppers

I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course!) and it looked like a healthy way to eat some Mexican style food so I figured, why not? It is high in protein and fiber and it tastes delicious! Plus, it was pretty easy to prepare. Skinnytaste.com has some great recipes. Definitely another website to check out. 

 First, gather all of your supplies. 

You will need the following for the filling:
*1/2 lb 99% lean ground turkey (I used a full lb.)
*3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
*3/4 cup frozen corn
*1 hot pickled serrano pepper, chopped (or jalapeno) more to taste (I'm a chicken so I only used half a jalapeno pepper.)
*1 large diced tomato
*1 clove garlic, minced
*3 tbsp chopped onion
*2 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (I use the cilantro in a seasoning jar.)
*1 tsp cumin
*salt to taste

For the peppers:
*3 red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise
*1/3 cup reduced sodium, fat free chicken broth (I used vegetable broth.)
*9 tbsp shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese
*1 tbsp chopped scallions for garnish, optional

In a large skillet, brown the turkey and season with salt. While the turkey is being cooked, prep all the other ingredients for the filling.  (onion, garlic, black beans, cilantro, serrano pepper, diced tomatoes, and cumin.)

Because there is some prep work, I chose to do this during nap time. The filling can easily be done ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to fill the peppers and cook it all together in the oven. It just gets too crazy to do this around dinner time with an almost 8 month old and a 2 1/2 year old. It goes much faster when I don't have to divide my time. That way I can spend more time with the kiddos before I have to feed them and then happily put them to bed for the night.  :-D

When the turkey is  browned, add onion, garlic, black beans, cilantro, serrano (or jalapeno) pepper, diced tomatoes, and cumin.

Mix well and simmer on low, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove lid, add corn and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until all the liquid reduces. Doesn't it look so good?

While the filling was cooking, I went ahead and cut up the peppers and placed them in the fridge. This was another way to save time later. (Remember, two crazy kids vying for my attention and therefore making feel guilty that I'm not paying attention to them?)  Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and stems. Some of the peppers didn't stand up so I had to slightly cut the bottom to get it to stay upright.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the filling in the peppers.  Place peppers, cut side up, in an oven-proof dish. Pour about 1/3 cup of water or broth on the bottom of the dish.  (I poured a little more than that to make sure it was fully covered.)  Cover tight with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the peppers become soft.  Remove foil, top each with 1 1/2 tbsp of cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes.  Top with scallions and serve with reduced fat sour cream, if desired.

My husband and I both enjoyed this meal. It wasn't ready for my toddler to eat it for dinner last night since I put it in the oven a little too late. I will try tonight and let you know. I can pretty much guarantee he will not touch it, even though he had stuffed peppers at daycare and devoured it. Go figure, right?  I think next time I might just buy smaller peppers, rather than the larger ones cut in half.  Otherwise, it was very tasty and I will definitely do this again. A touch of cayenne pepper might be good as well.  Yum!

Skinnytaste.com 

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/2 pepper • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts

Calories: 160 • Fat: 3 g • Carbs: 19 g • Fiber: 4 g • Protein: 15.5 g • Sugar: 1 g

Sodium: 119 (without salt)