Wild rice and turkey stuffed peppers

Stuffed peppers is one of my favorite childhood dishes EVER. Every visit home I ask my beloved babushka to make some for me.

These wild rice and turkey stuffed peppers are my own take on the childhood specialty. While my grandma’s recipe calls for white rice, I just love the texture that wild rice adds to this dish. I also substitute a traditional mixture of pork and beef for turkey for leaner, milder flavor.

Wild rice and turkey stuffed peppers tips and tricks:

First of all, this dish is so easy and straightforward, that it’s impossible to go wrong! But here are my tips on how to bring it to perfection;)

1. Make sure to cut a tiny piece off the bottom of each pepper. This will allow them to stand straight in the baking dish. 
2. Brown and black rice mix in a 1:1 ratio is a perfect rice combination for this dish. Brown rice is comforting and chewy while black rice adds nutty notes and a pleasant crunch . 
3. Resist the temptation to stir your turkey once it hits the pan. Just flatten it with a spatula and let sit in the hot pan for a few minutes so it gets nicely browned. Then use a potato masher to break up ground meat into smaller pieces. 
4. Pop your peppers under the broiler right before serving for extra toasted cheese crust.

Can’t to wait 1 hour for your stuffed peppers to cook through?

You don’t have to! Just put your peppers into salted boiling water for 5-6 minutes before stuffing. This way the baking time can be reduced by half. 

The only downside – some vitamins will be lost in the boiling water. That’s unfortunate but sometimes you gotta pick your battles!

Make sure to check out more amazing comforting recipes:

• Gluten free version of my best zucchini fritters with feta
• Rich and creamy mushroom pasta
• Leek cannelloni with spinach and ricotta

Knowing that you use my recipes makes me so happy! If you end up making this wild rice and turkey stuffed peppers or any other recipes, please tag me @olesia.guts so I can see your creations!

Wild rice and turkey stuffed peppers

Serves: 4-6 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

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Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 lbs ground turkey
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 large can (32 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 4 oz feta in brine, crumbled by hand
• 2 oz sour cream or creme fraiche (plus extra for serving)
• 8 medium bell peppers 
• 2 cups cooked wild rice*
• 2 oz gruyere, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Add shallots and salt generously. Saute for 6-7 minutes, until soft and lightly browned over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a couple minutes, until it just starts browning. Add tomato paste and saute for 2 min to remove acidity. Add tomatoes, oregano and paprika, season with black pepper and salt to taste and let simmer over very low heat for the flavors to meld while you prep the bell peppers.
2. Remove the tops of the peppers and discard seeds and ribs ( some people prefer cutting peppers in half like in the previous version of this recipe - feel free to do it this way if it's your jam;). Cut a tiny piece of the bottom of each pepper so they stand straight in the baking dish. 
3. Remove tomato sauce from the pan. Add turkey and saute for another 3-4 minutes until golden-brown, breaking meat up with a spatula (but don’t stir too often so it has time to caramelize). TIP: Potato masher is an easy way to break up ground meat into smaller pieces. 
4. Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix cooked turkey with half of the tomato sauce and all of the feta cheese.
5. Pack each pepper (or each half if you prefer them halved) with stuffing and place in a baking pan/dutch oven. Put the tops back and lightly brush with olive oil. Mix the remaining tomato sauce with 2 oz of sour cream and pour  into the baking dish.
6. Cover with tin foil or lid if using a dutch oven. Bake for 1 hour for whole peppers or 30 min for halved, then sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for another 10-20 min depending on the thickness of your peppers. Serve right away with a side of sour cream (that’s a traditional ukrainian way, highly recommended!).

Notes

*I find 50/50 brown and black rice mix to be a perfect combination. Brown rice is comforting and chewy while black rice has nutty notes and a pleasant crunch to it . **You can pop your peppers under the broiler right before serving for extra toasted cheese crust.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you tried it please tag me on Instagram @olesia.guts. , I will be so happy to see your creations!