Southwest Stuffed Peppers

There are a variety of ingredients you can use to make stuffed peppers, but I personally enjoy making these with a southwest twist.  I incorporate ground turkey, but if you prefer a vegetarian option, it can be eliminated, or you can add in cooked brown rice or quinoa.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 6 bell peppers
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup cooked corn
• 1 cup beans (I used black beans, but you can use any beans you like)
• 1 1/2 cup ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• ½ tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• Pinch of salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop peppers – remove the top portion and cut out the core, leaving the inside part of the pepper whole and empty.  Stand up peppers in a baking pan and brush the peppers with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Bake for 15 minutes.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add onions.  Cook for 5 minutes until they slightly soften.  Add in tomatoes, beans, corn, cooked ground turkey, and seasons.  Stir to combine and sauté for 10 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken.  Remove peppers from the oven and add the mixture to each pepper. Return the peppers back to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Optional: Add shredded cheese on top of peppers.