Kale and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

These are the perfect vegetarian dinner for Meatless Monday or Fridays during Lent. They can easily be made vegan if you take off the cheese.  I love stuffed peppers, just not stuffed with meat. 😉

I was thrilled when Dr. Praeger’s contacted me to deconstruct one of their veggies burgers to create a recipe.  I love Dr. Praeger’s because they are all natural, gluten-free and GMO-free.  I am hesitant about some of the veggie burgers in supermarkets today because many of them contain GMO filled soy and other undesirable ingredients.  I chose to use their new KALE Veggie Burgers (right up my alley!)  Check out the ingredients:

Quinoa (quinoa, filtered water), Brown Rice (brown rice, filtered water), Millet (millet, filtered water), Onions, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Carrots, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Corn, Red Peppers, Water Chestnuts, Kale, Roasted Zucchini, Broccoli, Potato Flakes, Rice Starch, Roasted Garlic, Parsley, Salt, Black Pepper.

They sound delicious, don’t they?  Yup, they are.

I also added quinoa to my stuffed peppers to increase the fiber and protein content.  Quinoa is actually a seed but is primarily marketed as a grain due to its nutty texture.  It contains all of the essential amino acids which makes it high in protein.  Quinoa is so versatile and adds a boost of nutrition to any dish.

Most of you know how much I love kale.  Kale is a leafy-green powerhouse of nutrition.  It is packed with iron, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and many antioxidants and nutrients.

Beans are filled with healthy fiber and protein.  I haven’t met a bean I don’t like (yes even lima beans) but I really love my black beans.

Wait until you see how easy these are to prepare.  Yes,  they are easy even though they look fancy.  Such a pretty presentation!

First I took a small amount of extra virgin olive oil (1 tablespoon) and added it to a large skillet. I took 4 veggie burgers and cooked them while crumbling them into pieces.

They took about 3-4 minutes to cook.  And they smelled amazing! next I added chopped spinach, black beans, cooked quinoa and allowed to cook for a few minutes until the kale wilts slightly (I like it when it’s still crispy).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper or organic cooking spray.  Cut about 1 inch off the top of pepper.  Remove seeds and membranes and rinse peppers well.  *TIP: If the peppers do not stand up straight, cut a small amount off the bottom so they sit evenly.  Stuff each pepper with kale mixture.  Top each pepper with 1-2 tablespoons cheese if desired.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.  I like them when the peppers are still firm and not mushy.  Serve immediately.

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Kale and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 onion minced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 Dr. Praeger's Kale veggie burgers
• 1 can BPA-FREE black beans
• 4-5 large red bell peppers
• 1/4 cup quinoa rinsed and cooked
• chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese optional

Instructions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the garlic and onion in the olive oil until soft, about 3–4 minutes.
2. Add the veggie burgers, break them up into pieces with a wooden spoon and stir.
3. Cut about 1 inch off the top of pepper. Remove seeds and membranes: rinse peppers well. Stuff each pepper with kale burger mixture. Top each pepper with 1-2 tablespoons cheese and cilantro if desired.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. I like them when the peppers are still firm and not mushy. Serve immediately.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Dr. Praeger’s.  The wonderful people at Dr. Praeger’s compensated me for the time spent developing and photographing this recipe.  However, like always, the opinions are entirely my own.  Promise   My sponsors help make this blog possible.

I hope you enjoy these!  Thank you Dr. Praeger’s for introducing me to my new favorite veggie burgers 🙂