I’m not a vegetarian in the slightest… actually far from it. I like eating meat just as much as my husband loves steak.
However, there comes a time in one’s life that you just don’t necessarily have to have meat to enjoy a meal.
Well, this time has come folks.
I have to say that it’s a hard thing to realize that I don’t necessarily need chicken or steak to make a meal complete.
Of course, I have known this is true with breakfast or lunch items but when it comes to dinner, I have usually always had some type of meat on the plate.
But don’t worry.. I am not turning into a vegetarian or vegan. I would probably die if that happened.
I did try and do that once for a while and felt so sick and lethargic and had zero energy that I will never go back to that again.
But there are times when meat is not necessary and since I’ve been branching out my culinary skills, I’ve decided that a vegetarian dish every once in a while can’t hurt.
Like with these quinoa stuffed bell peppers.
Now, I have made my fair share of stuffed bell peppers and these have turned out to be my favorite so far. I usually make them with ground turkey or beef but resisted the urge to see how they would be without meat.
They turned out fantastic and you wouldn’t even know that there should be meat in them.
The quinoa makes them incredibly filling and the green chilies gives a nice flavor so they don’t turn out bland and boring.
Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa cooked
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
- 1 cup corn
- 1/2 cup black beans drained
- 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1/4 cup queso fresco
- 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 6 red bell peppers stemmed and seeded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare 9×13 baking dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray or lining with parchment paper; set aside.
- In large bowl, add all ingredients except bell peppers and mix to combine. Scoop mixture into scooped and seeded bell pepper cavity. Place filled bell peppers into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with additional Mexican cheese blend, if desired.
- Bake at 350° F for 25-30 minutes or until mixture is heated through and cheese on top is melted.
- Remove from oven and top with additional queso fresco. Serve immediately.