Stuffed peppers were a weeknight dinner staple in our house when I was younger. They were quick and easy for mom to make and pretty filling for us kids. I’ve updated my childhood recipe with a healthy twist replacing the ground beef with quinoa and loading the peppers up with lots of cheese, tomatoes and herbs.
These quick stuffed peppers are hearty enough for a vegetarian main dish or to served as a side for a crowd. Make the filling up to a day ahead for a super quick weeknight dinner.
I had red quinoa on hand but most grains will do in a pinch. Orzo, brown rice, farro or even couscous would be pretty delicious in this recipe. 
Caprese Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Easy, quick and totally delicious, these quinoa stuffed peppers are the perfect weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked red quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella (8 ounces)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 4 large bell peppers, cut lengthwise in half, seeds removed
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F. Line baking pan with foil or parchment paper. In a large saucepan of 2 cups stock, cook quinoa according to package instructions; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, red pepper, salt and flakes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.
- Place pepper halves on baking pan, cut side up. Divide quinoa and tomato mixture among peppers. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese over peppers. Roast 20 to 25 minutes or until peppers are tender and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Sprinkle with additional basil if desired. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 374
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 647mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 36mg
Peter picked a peck of pickled stuffed peppers. Here are a few more pepper recipes for ya…
Cheesy Quinoa Black Stuffed Bell Peppers from Simply Recipes Sweet Corn and Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers from The Kitchn
Orzo Stuffed Peppers from Love and Lemons
