Food and Recipes Meat Turkey Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers Be the first to rate & review! Stuffed peppers are a fun way to combine meat and vegetables into a one-skillet dinner. By Elizabeth Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh is a recipe tester and developer for the Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama and tests and develops recipes for brands including Southern Living, Real Simple, Food & Wine, People, and Health. She received her bachelor's degree in political science from American University in Washington, D.C. After university, she dipped her toes in the restaurant industry and never looked back. She completed her culinary degree at The Culinary Institute of America. Elizabeth has been a part of the Meredith Food Studios since 2017. Prior to that, she cooked in restaurants in New Orleans, Charleston, and Chicago. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on February 16, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe Juicy ground turkey, tender rice and vegetable filling, and umami-rich tomato sauce—everything that's necessary for spectacular ground turkey stuffed peppers. And it's exactly what you'll find in this stuffed peppers recipe. We like using ground turkey (specifically 85/15 turkey) because it has plenty of flavor and moisture, and it absorbs the sauce and spices well. The stuffed pepper mixture itself is herby and savory, with a touch of heat from the hoagie spread. That spread also adds a nice acidity to the tomato sauce, which might seem overwhelmingly sweet without. The savory filling also helps the delicate sweetness of the roasted peppers shine. A stuffed pepper is a great weeknight dinner that everyone at the table will appreciate. Yes, it's a stuffed vegetable, but it's rich and meaty with the turkey and rice, so even those who prefer a meat-and-three meal can appreciate this dish. Serve with mashed potatoes—and spoon the tomato sauce on top to finish it off—or roasted vegetables. We suggest roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus. Tip From The Test Kitchen Without cutting through the peppers, cut off their rounded ends so the peppers easily stand straight up in the skillet. Ingredients 6 small (7 oz. each) multicolored bell peppers 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 small (5 1/2 oz.) yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup) 1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided 4 medium clove garlic cloves, thinly sliced (1 1/2 Tbsp.) 4 Tbsp. hot cherry pepper hoagie spread (such as Cento), divided 1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce 1 lb. 85/15 lean ground turkey 1 (8 1/2-oz.) pkg. precooked microwavable basmati rice 4 oz. pre-shredded Italian cheese blend (about 1 cup) 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning Directions Preheat the oven, and prepare the peppers: Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove 1/2-inch from tops of peppers, and reserve. Remove and discard stems, membranes, and seeds. If necessary, cut a thin slice from bottom of each pepper so they sit flat. Roughly chop reserved pepper tops (about 1 3/4 cup), and set aside. Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Cook stuffed pepper filling: Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add onion, chopped pepper tops, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and pepper mixture begins to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Add garlic and 2 tablespoons of the hoagie spread; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce; reduce heat to medium, and simmer over medium, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside. Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Finish the filling, and stuff the peppers: Using hands, stir together together turkey, rice, cheese, Italian seasoning, 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture, and remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 2 tablespoons hoagie spread in a large bowl until combined. Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Divide turkey mixture evenly among peppers (2/3 cup per pepper). Place filled peppers, cut sides up, on top of remaining tomato mixture in skillet. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Bake, top with sauce, and serve: Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove and discard foil; spoon about 1 tablespoon tomato mixture over top of each pepper. Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Bake at 375°F, uncovered, until peppers are tender, sauce thickens slightly, and a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of turkey mixture registers at least 165°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool, uncovered, 10 minutes before serving with tomato sauce in skillet. Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Rate it Print