Forget soggy takeout and guilt-ridden fast food, because it’s time to throw a fiesta in your kitchen with Gluten-Free Feast: Chicken Parm Stuffed Peppers with a Quinoa Kick (Guilt-Free Comfort!)! This ain’t your grandma’s stuffed peppers, my friends. We’re talking juicy chicken parmesan nestled in a bed of protein-packed quinoa, all bursting from plump, colorful bell peppers and smothered in a melty cheese blanket that’ll have you swooning. Yes, it’s gluten-free, yes it’s bursting with flavor, and yes, it’s ready in under an hour, making it the weeknight warrior your taste buds have been begging for.
Imagine tender chicken, bathed in a zesty parmesan sauce, sharing a cozy hug with fluffy quinoa inside a sun-kissed pepper pod. Each bite is a symphony of textures – the crisp bell pepper giving way to the juicy chicken and creamy quinoa, all harmonized by the melty, gooey cheese that pulls it all together. And the best part? This culinary masterpiece is so light and satisfying, you can skip the post-dinner guilt trip and dive headfirst into a second (or third) helping.
So ditch the drive-thru blues and the pre-packaged blahs. This recipe is about to become your new comfort food champion, proving that healthy and delicious can be best friends on a plate. Get ready to fire up your oven, gather your favorite people, and prepare to experience stuffed pepper nirvana because, let’s be honest, who can resist a party in a pepper?
Now, grab your aprons, fire up your curiosity, and let’s get cookin’!
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)
Directions
- 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.
