Chicken Parmesan & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Chicken Parm gets a fun low-carb and gluten-free twist with these cheesy stuffed peppers with chicken and quinoa. Serve with a salad for a healthy dinner that’s easy to prep too.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Additional Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hr
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 stuffed peppers
Bone-Health Nut-Free Healthy Aging Healthy Immunity Low-Sodium Soy-Free High-Fiber High-Protein Egg-Free Low-Calorie
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 ¼ cups water
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 ½ cups lower-sodium marinara sauce
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup sliced fresh basil, divided
4 large red bell peppers (about 8 ounces each)
2 ounces low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add quinoa; cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 seconds. Add water; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken, marinara, Parmesan and 1/2 cup basil.
Trim top 1/2 inch from peppers; remove seeds and membranes. Arrange the peppers, cut-sides up, in an 8-inch-square glass baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave on High for 3 minutes. Remove plastic wrap. Spoon the quinoa mixture evenly into the pepper halves (about 1 1/4 cups each).
Bake the stuffed peppers until they are softened, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella. Continue baking until the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup basil.
Tips:
To make ahead: The peppers can be prepared through Step 2 up to 1 day in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature while preheating the oven. Continue with Step 3.
Nutritional Info:
Serving Size 1 stuffed bell pepper
calories 559 total fat 18g saturated fat 5g cholesterol 104mg sodium 522mg total carbohydrate 49g dietary fiber 8g total sugars 13g protein 48g vitamin c 218mg calcium 245mg iron 5mg potassium 969mg