After a trip to the Greek Isles, I wanted to develop some recipes that feature the bright flavors of Greece. Fire-roasted tomatoes, chickpeas, marinated artichoke hearts, ground turkey and couscous come together to make these fibrant Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers. This dish tastes amazing and is packed with vegetables and protein.
My mother taught me how to make Stuffed Peppers years ago. Our family ate them often in the winter months and early spring as a hearty, satisfying meal. I love to make them for my family and they are now raving about this new version of the classic recipe.
What type of peppers should I use?
Yellow, red and orange bell peppers are the best for this dish. They are super sweet and juicy when baked in the oven with filling. There is no need to blanch the peppers ahead of time, as they will soften in the oven as they cook. And you want them to keep their shape and texture, so they are easy to eat with the meat filling.
Green peppers are also good to make stuffed peppers, but they tend to be more earthy and slightly bitter in taste. And the color just can’t match the vibrancy of yellow, red and orange bell peppers.
Prepare the peppers by washing and slicing them in half from top to bottom and removing their seeds carefully. I like to leave the stem attached for a prettier presentation.
What is Couscous?
Couscous is a tiny pasta, typically made with durum wheat, otherwise known as semolina. This is added to wheat flour and water and then rolled until tiny round balls of pasta dough are formed. Couscous is popular in Moroccan, North African and Mediterranean dishes. It is often steamed and served with stews and braised meats. This tiny pasta cooks up quickly and adds texture and heartiness to many dishes.
Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
What’s needed?
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked couscous
- 3 red, yellow, orange bell peppers
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 15-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes
- 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or Feta cheese), divided
How to make Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers?
- Begin by cooking the couscous. Bring one cup of chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add one cup of couscous to the boiling stock and stir. Cover and remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow it to ‘steam’ for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff couscous with a fork.
- Clean the peppers and cut them in half from top to bottom. Remove all seeds from the peppers. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine diced onion, ground turkey chopped artichoke hearts, egg, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan. Mix meat mixture with your hands until combined. Add one cup of the prepared couscous to the filling and stir to combine. Reserve remaining couscous to serve with the stuffed peppers.
- Place fire-roasted tomatoes in the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Add drained chickpeas to the tomatoes. Fill each pepper half with about 2/3 cup of meat mixture. Nestle the stuffed peppers into the tomatoes and chickpeas in the baking dish. Add a pinch more Italian seasoning over the top of the peppers. Cover and bake for 35 minutes.
- Uncover the dish and sprinkle the remaining shredded Parmesan over the peppers. Bake it for another 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and the stuffed peppers are cooked through. Recipe makes 6 servings.
Serve these delicious Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers with the remaining couscous and roasted vegetables. You won’t find a more flavorful, vibrant plate of food. Dinner is ready!
Check out these recipes for more delicious, savory meals:
- Chicken Paprikash and Dumplings
- Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Italian Sausage and Chicken Soup with Spinach
Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- 1 13×9 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked couscous
- 3 red yellow, orange bell peppers
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 15- ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes
- 15 ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese or Feta cheese, divided
Instructions
- Begin by cooking the couscous. Bring one cup of chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add one cup of couscous to the boiling stock and stir. Cover and remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow it to ‘steam’ for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff couscous with a fork.
- Clean the peppers and cut them in half from top to bottom. Remove all seeds from the peppers. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine diced onion, ground turkey chopped artichoke hearts, egg, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan. Mix meat mixture with your hands until combined. Add one cup of the prepared couscous to the filling and stir to combine. Reserve remaining couscous to serve with the stuffed peppers.
- Place fire-roasted tomatoes in the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Add drained chickpeas to the tomatoes. Fill each pepper half with about 2/3 cup of meat mixture. Nestle the stuffed peppers into the tomatoes and chickpeas in the baking dish. Add a pinch more Italian seasoning over the top of the peppers. Cover and bake for 35 minutes.
- Uncover the dish and sprinkle the remaining shredded Parmesan over the peppers. Bake the dish for another 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and peppers are cooked through. Recipe makes 6 servings.
