How long to cook stuffed peppers?

For these Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers, bake them until bubbly, heated through, and the cheese on top is golden brown in places - around 35 to 45 minutes.

How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting soggy?

Piercing the bottom of the peppers a few times with a knife or skewer is a great way to prevent sogginess and works well in this recipe. This allows excess moisture to drain out instead of pooling inside the pepper as it bakes. Draining any excess liquid in the ingredients also helps.

Should I boil peppers before stuffing them?

No, you don’t need to boil peppers before stuffing them, and in most cases, it’s better not to! Boiling can make them too soft and watery, leading to soft, soggy stuffed peppers.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe - A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®

Name: Quinoa Bell Peppers
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Cuisine: mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 cup vegetable stock – I recommend Better Than Bouillon mixed with water; 1/2 cup quinoa; 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 4 large orange or red bell peppers, seeded, deveined, and halved pole to pole; Kosher or sea salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced small; 3 cloves garlic, chopped; 2/3 pint (6 to 8 ounces) multi-colored cherry tomatoes, quartered; 2 tablespoons diced fresh Serrano chile pepper (seed and devein for less heat), or to taste; 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed; 1 cup (4 ounces) cubed fresh mozzarella; 1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided use; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil; 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley; 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup vegetable stock – I recommend Better Than Bouillon mixed with water
1/2 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 large orange or red bell peppers, seeded, deveined, and halved pole to pole
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2/3 pint (6 to 8 ounces) multi-colored cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons diced fresh Serrano chile pepper (seed and devein for less heat), or to taste
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup (4 ounces) cubed fresh mozzarella
1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided use
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, combine vegetable stock, quinoa, rosemary, garlic, and powder and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer per package instructions, or until all liquid evaporates and grain is soft (usually takes around 15 minutes). Uncover, remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
Place 6 bell pepper halves in a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. With a sharp knife, pierce the bottom of the peppers a couple of times, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and season liberally with salt and fresh black pepper. Set aside.
Remove the stems from the remaining 2 bell pepper halves and slice into thin strips; quarter strips and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Stir in the onion, chopped garlic, tomatoes, chile pepper, garbanzo beans, and mozzarella.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, basil, parsley, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in the cooled quinoa and mix well. Season with salt and black pepper to taste (around 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt should do it).
Spoon a heaping amount of quinoa stuffing into each pepper half and transfer to prepared baking dish. Any leftover stuffing can be sprinkled in the pan or tucked into the corners of the dish. Top each pepper with approximately 1 tablespoon of Parmesan and 1 tablespoon of Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake peppers about 35 to 45 minutes, until bubbly, heated through, and the cheese on top is golden brown in places.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Make ahead: Peppers can be assembled, but not baked, earlier in the day, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking, or increase cook time by around 10 minutes. Filling (without cheese) can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead, placed in an airtight container, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

Tips for Making Quinoa Bell Peppers:
1. Choose similar-sized peppers. Using peppers of approximately the same size ensures they cook evenly.
2. Pierce the peppers’ bottoms. Piercing the bottoms of the bell peppers with a knife allows excess moisture to drain out as they bake, preventing sogginess. Take care to make small cuts, so the stuffing doesn’t leak out.
3. Handle serrano peppers with care. Serrano peppers are spicy! Use caution when handling them. Don’t touch your eyes before washing your hands! Consider wearing gloves. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling.
4. Use a baking dish with sides. Choose a baking dish with sides to hold the leftover stuffing you spoon around the stuffed peppers. It will also catch any excess moisture released as the peppers bake.

Author: From "Fresh Tastes" by Lee Clayton Roper
Category: Main dish
Method: Bake
Cuisine: mediterranean

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper half
Calories: 404
Sugar: 8.7 g
Sodium: 765.2 mg
Fat: 22.3 g
Saturated Fat: 9.2 g
Carbohydrates: 31.1 g
Fiber: 6.8 g
Protein: 21 g
Cholesterol: 38.4 mg