Creamy Turkey and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
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updated Dec 4, 2020
Rollover Dinners
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This shortcut dinner starts with leftover turkey bolognese, which makes quick work of veggie-packed stuffed peppers.

Serves4 to 6

Prep10 minutes

Cook25 minutes

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Credit: Meghan Splawn

Welcome to Rollover Dinners, a series to help you make smart use of leftovers. In this post, we’re using leftovers from this turkey Bolognese to make creamy stuffed peppers. Read the intro post here.

This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite Trader Joe’s hacks: buying their frozen Bolognese sauce and stuffing peppers with it. My sometimes-picky 8-year-old devours it every time. I can’t get to TJ’s as often as I’d like, which is why I love making a big batch of turkey Bolognese and utilizing the leftovers to make these creamy stuffed peppers. Since they’re already prepped, you can bake ’em off on a night when you have better things to do than stand at the stove.

Credit: Meghan Splawn

Shortcut Stuffed Peppers

I grew up eating stuffed peppers once a week (maybe more) because my single mom knew they were an easy way to use up leftovers and feed her hungry kids. This creamy version is inspired by those childhood meals — calling for a bit of cooked rice and adding a nub of cream cheese to make this dinner taste decidedly different from the turkey Bolognese over pasta. I keep store-bought packs of cooked rice on hand, but you could easily use frozen rice or use up leftover cooked rice. And while you’re shortcutting the Bolognese and the rice, you might as well grab some pre-shredded cheese to make this dinner even easier on yourself.

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Creamy Turkey and Rice Stuffed Peppers

This shortcut dinner starts with leftover turkey bolognese, which makes quick work of veggie-packed stuffed peppers.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 25 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 3

    large bell peppers

  • 1 (8.5-ounce) package

    heat-and-serve rice, or 2 cups cooked rice

  • 2 cups

    Turkey Bolognese

  • 2 ounces

    cream cheese

  • 4 ounces

    cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

  2. Halve 3 large bell peppers through the stem and remove the seeds and cores. Place cut-side up in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish.

  3. Place 1 package heat-and-serve rice (or 2 cups cooked rice), 2 cups Turkey Bolognese, and 2 ounces cream cheese in a large bowl and stir to combine. Evenly divide the mixture between the peppers. Shred 4 ounces cheddar cheese if needed, then sprinkle over the peppers. Carefully pour 1 cup water into the baking dish, being careful not to get any water inside the peppers.

  4. Coat a large sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Place spray-side down over the peppers and cover the baking dish tightly. Bake until the peppers are softened but not mushy and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrierated in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Filed in:
dinner
Gluten-Free
Ingredient
Main Dish
poultry
Rice & Grains