Baked peppers stuffed with a delicious filling of sausage, kale and quinoa! Quick and tasty weeknight dinner!
Cold weather calls for comforting foods and these days these peppers are just the right kind of comfort food I have been in the mood for lately. Not too cheesy, perfect for health conscious folks (though you can always load them up with cheese if that’s what you want!) , delicious and filling. When I
am all by myself, I try to prepare food that is not his kind and I can eat it for days. So I don’t need to worry about cooking for dinner and that leaves me more time for working. Win-win for both of us. I remember my mother cooking stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers and serving as a side dish. I recently discovered how delicious these taste when eaten as a meal on their own. Just this and a glass of wine. You got yourself a delicious meal.
Sausage, kale and quinoa stuffed peppers can be really good to serve as a side dish on your thanksgiving table too. If you are looking for little change in your usual thanksgiving menu, I suggest you go with these as one of your side dish. To be on the safe side, prepare them few days ahead or weeks ahead so you can find the right setting and adjust them to your taste too. Then once you already know how to make them perfectly, for Thanksgiving meal, prepare them a night in advance and just leave the baking part. Bake them just few minutes before thanksgiving dinner and hoola everyone will be impressed at how much work you put in these but in reality, these are a charm to make!
If you are not into quinoa, you can easily substitute rice, brown rice, farro, millet in place of quinoa. Totally customizable. I really like meals when I know I can customize them to my liking! I feel more control of what I am cooking and a sense of relief that it will be enjoyed by my near and dear ones. On another note, this filling was so darn tasty that I ate the leftovers for my lunch. I suggest serving the leftover filling as a side too. It’s too tasty just eaten alone! So if you are like me and halfway through the process, you decide to just serve this filling as a side dish and forget about those gorgeous bell peppers, don’t worry. I won’t judge you!
I just love all the beautiful colors and I think these make usual winter dinners a lot more interesting!
So what are you waiting for?! Get going! Only 21 days to go!
- 3 large bell peppers (I used one each of red, yellow and orange but you can use any color you prefer)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ cup, chopped onion
- ¼ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 chicken sausage, chopped fine (I used spicy jalapeno chicken sausage but you can use basically any kind of meat you want. You can also replace sausage with ground meat BUT remember to season it really well while cooking.)
- 1 cup finely chopped kale (You can use any green such as spinach, collard greens, etc)
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup mozzarella, shredded
- ⅓ cup red wine (I used moscato)
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- ½ tsp red chilli flakes
- In a microwave safe bowl, add ½ cup water. Place bell peppers (head chopped off, cleaned from inside) cut side up and sprinkle with some salt. Cover with a plastic wrap and microwave for 5 mins. Once done, uncover and take them out of the bowl.
- Meanwhile cook quinoa as per package directions. Keep it aside.
- In a skillet, add oil. Once hot, add garlic and onions. Saute until onions are softened.
- Add sausage or any meat you are using. Saute well until meat starts to brown.
- Add tomatoes and stir. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add chopped kale and stir. Add salt, black pepper and chilli flakes. Cook for another 5 minutes until kale wilts a bit.
- Add quinoa and stir again to make sure everything gets mixed up properly.
- Add wine and continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Turn off the gas.
- Pre heat oven to 400F.
- In a baking pan, arrange all the bell peppers. Stuff them up with 1 tbsp cheese first in each one of them and then with the filling. Make sure filling is upto your taste as filling is what's going to make these peppers shine!
- Cover with some more cheese. Close the lid and bake them in a 400F oven for 10-15 minutes or until tender.
- Serve with rice, as a side dish or make a meal out of it.
More Quick and Easy Recipes:
Mira says
November 6, 2014 at 1:03 PMThese look colorful, beautiful and delicious. And more important-healthy! I’ve been eating a lot of quinoa lately and will definitely try these!
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:09 AMThanks Mira for your wonderful comment!
cheri says
November 6, 2014 at 3:53 PMHi Ami, what a beautiful dish, so healthy and comforting all at the same time.
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:07 AMThanks Cheri!
Linda @ Veganosity says
November 6, 2014 at 4:29 PMI love stuffed peppers. My mom used to make them so they are definitely a comfort food for me. These are beautiful!
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:07 AMThanks Linda!
GiGi Eats says
November 6, 2014 at 9:10 PMSausage, peppers, kale…. AW MAN! HEAVENNNN! 🙂
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:07 AMThanks Gigi!
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says
November 6, 2014 at 10:19 PMMmm, I really like quinoa, but usually have trouble thinking of ways to use it that my husband will enjoy too. This looks perfect. There’s meat and cheese involved so he would eat it! 🙂 And it’s so colourful, I love it!
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:06 AMSo true Stacey. Usually anything with meat and cheese screams man-food hehe!!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
November 6, 2014 at 10:26 PMThis looks like the perfect comfort food, Ami! I love that you used sausage and quinoa to stuff these peppers. I’m always looking for new ways to use quinoa, so this sounds perfect!
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:06 AMGayle lmk if you try these!
Renee@ Two in the Kitchen says
November 6, 2014 at 10:34 PMThe stuffing looks amazing, but I would never forget the peppers! I am a glutton for bell peppers so these look fantastic!! 🙂
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:05 AMHaha thanks for stopping by Renee!
Marcie says
November 7, 2014 at 12:28 AMI’m with you — I make meals like this just for me because nobody else will eat them. And I will eat hem for days too! I love stuffed peppers and everything in these. Pinned.
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:04 AMHope you give these a try Marcie!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
November 7, 2014 at 2:19 AMMy husband isn’t fond of stuffed peppers but I love it. My mother used to make these for us when we were kids but it was always filled with rice and beef. I love the sausage and quinoa idea!
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:04 AMThanks Maureen!
Marla Meridith says
November 7, 2014 at 3:29 AMThese peppers look wonderful!
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:03 AMThanks Marla!
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says
November 7, 2014 at 4:37 AMBeautiful 🙂 I would really enjoy this as a meal. And you’re right– baking up a bunch would be easy, and I’d have lunch and dinner prepared for a few days during the week. Inspired! Pinning!
naivecookcooks says
November 7, 2014 at 10:03 AMHaha thanks girl!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
November 7, 2014 at 10:48 AMSo colourful, delicious and good for you! I need to make this soon!
naivecookcooks says
November 12, 2014 at 12:17 AMThanks Angie!
Amanda says
November 7, 2014 at 11:11 AMThese are so pretty and they look delicious!
naivecookcooks says
November 12, 2014 at 12:17 AMThanks Amanda!
Annie says
November 7, 2014 at 12:49 PMoh wow. this looks delicious! putting this on our recipe list for next week!
naivecookcooks says
November 12, 2014 at 12:14 AMThanks Annie!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
November 7, 2014 at 3:21 PMStuffed peppers are a favorite, especially stuffed with quinoa and kale! I love slathering tomato sauce all over them too!
naivecookcooks says
November 12, 2014 at 12:14 AMOhh love this idea!!
Manju | Mirch Masala says
November 7, 2014 at 5:00 PMThis totally is my kind of something for a weeknight dinner. I spotted you at Thalia’s Butter and Brioche and decided to stop by here and I dont regret it at all 🙂
naivecookcooks says
November 12, 2014 at 12:13 AMThanks Manju!! Hope you try more recipes from here!
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy says
November 7, 2014 at 8:38 PMso healthy. so delicious. so cute!!! 😀
naivecookcooks says
November 12, 2014 at 12:13 AMThanks!
Marisa Bergamasco says
November 8, 2014 at 9:38 AMSo colorful and plenty of flavors!!! Great post dear!!!
Lots of hugs!!!
Marisa
naivecookcooks says
November 12, 2014 at 12:10 AMThanks Marisa!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
November 11, 2014 at 7:59 PMThese look really really good! Love stuffed peppers.
naivecookcooks says
November 12, 2014 at 12:01 AMMe too Dorothy!! A big fan of stuffed peppers!
Kelly says
November 12, 2014 at 5:50 AMI am a big fan of stuffed peppers! The quinoa and kale sound amazing in here! Love the pretty color, they look delicious!
naivecookcooks says
November 19, 2014 at 10:52 AMThanks Kelly!!