American
Stuffed Mini Peppers with Quinoa
Sweet mini peppers filled with herbed quinoa, cranberries, and toasted pecans—colorful and hearty
hot_bitemediumAmerican
Prep25 minCook20 minTotal45 minServes16Temphot
✓ vegan✓ vegetarian✓ gluten-free✓ dairy-free
⚠ Contains: tree nuts
Recipe
Ingredients
- 16mini sweet peppers(halved lengthwise, seeds removed)
- 1 cupquinoa(cooked and cooled)
- 0.25 cupdried cranberries(chopped)
- 0.25 cuppecans(toasted and chopped)
- 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)
- 1 tbspfresh sage(minced)
- 2 tbspolive oil(divided)
- 1 tbspbalsamic vinegar
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 0.25 tspblack pepper
Make Ahead
Quinoa filling can be made up to 2 days ahead. Fill peppers up to 4 hours before baking. Bake just before serving.
Instructions
- 1Preheat oven to 400°F
- 2Halve mini peppers lengthwise and remove seeds
- 3Toss pepper halves with 1 tbsp olive oil and arrange cut-side up on baking sheet
- 4Mix cooked quinoa with cranberries, pecans, parsley, sage, remaining olive oil, balsamic, salt, and pepper
- 5Fill each pepper half generously with quinoa mixture
- 6Bake 15-20 minutes until peppers are tender and filling is lightly golden
- 7Serve warm or at room temperature
Notes
Pro Tips
Choose peppers that sit flat for easier stuffing. Toast pecans in dry skillet for deeper flavor. Can substitute walnuts for pecans.
History & Origin
Stuffed peppers appear in cuisines worldwide, from Mediterranean dolmas to Mexican chiles rellenos. This version combines quinoa, an ancient grain cultivated by the Incas in the Andes for over 5,000 years, with classic American fall flavors of cranberries and pecans.
Pairs Well With
white winebourbonhard cidergin
Save & Share
American◆medium