Stuffed Bell Peppers

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 8 bell peppers, red, yellow or 8 oranges
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 16 ounces italian turkey sausage, removed from casing or 16 ounces lean ground turkey
• 1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
• 2 cups baby spinach, fresh, rinsed and chopped
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (optional)
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 2 large avocados, peeled and pit removed, sliced
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, fresh, finely chopped

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375°f
• 2 cut the peppers in half lengthwise, slicing from the stem to the bottoms, leaving the stems intact.
• 3 remove the pithy ribs near stem and down length of inside.
• 4 remove the ribs and seeds and discard.
• 5 place the peppers in a shallow 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
• 6 drizzle the peppers with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
• 7 cover the dish with foil, and bake the peppers 15 to 20 minutes, until they start to soften.
• 8 meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• 9 add the onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin.
• 10 cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes.
• 11 add the sausage to the skillet.
• 12 cook, breaking it up with a slotted spoon or potato masher, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• 13 add the salsa and the spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• 14 remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cooked brown rice and quinoa (optional).
• 15 carefully fill the pepper halves with the turkey mixture.
• 16 cover the dish with foil, and bake until the filling is hot and the peppers are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• 17 remove foil, and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the peppers.
• 18 return to oven; bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• 19 top the peppers with a heaping tablespoon of the yogurt.
• 20 place slices of the avocado on top of each pepper.
• 21 sprinkle with the basil.
• 22 serve immediately.