These roasted stuffed peppers are filled with sautéed vegetables like onions, corn, zucchini, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro, enhanced with quinoa and Monterey Jack cheese for heartiness. They offer a deliciously summery flavor, appealing to both meat-eaters and vegetarians. You can prepare them in advance by stuffing partially roasted peppers and storing them until ready to bake. The recipe is versatile, allowing for different vegetables, spices, grains, and cheeses to taste!
Total Time: 50 minutes | Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 6 large bell peppers, halved and cored, leaving the stems intact (if you wish)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
- kosher salt
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 hot chili, optional, finely minced
- kosher salt
- 1 or 2 zucchini, small diced, to yield about 2 cups
- 2 ears corn, kernels removed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 6 scallions, finely sliced
- 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped to yield about a cup
- 12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cubed
- basil or chives, chopped finely, for garnish, optional
- lemon for garnish, optional
Instructions:
- Heat the oven to 475ºF convection roast. Place the peppers cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with oil. Season with salt. Transfer pan to the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the peppers begin to blister. Remove from the oven. Turn peppers over. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, and bring to a simmer. Add a big pinch of kosher salt. Cook quinoa 9-12 minutes or until the quinoa is done. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When it shimmers, add the diced onion and chili, immediately lower the heat to medium, season with a pinch of salt, and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins turning translucent.
- Add the diced zucchini and cook for 2 minutes, just until the zucchini loses its rawness — you don’t want the zucchini to turn to mush; it’s nice when it has some texture here. Add the corn and cook for a minute more. Turn off the heat. Add the tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro.
- Add the quinoa and stir to combine. Taste. Add salt and pepper until it tastes well seasoned. Fold in the cubed Monterey Jack.
- Spoon filling into the cavities of the peppers. Don’t be afraid to really, really pack them full — it’s OK if the filling is heaped in a mound in each pepper. These peppers are meant to feel substantial. You may have a little extra filling on hand; it’s delicious on its own. Save it for another day or eat it.
- Transfer peppers to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes more until the cheese begins melting and the vegetables begin browning.
- Remove from the oven. Garnish with fresh basil, if you wish. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, if you wish.
