I’ve never heard of anyone not liking stuffed peppers, but I think it’s safe to say that everyone has their own take on the classic. While my mom’s recipe is delicious, I wanted to craft a recipe of my own. As mentioned in my previous post, I served them with my very own slow cooker heirloom tomato sauce, which definitely introduced a whole new level of flavor.

Also, to make my stuffed peppers extra healthy and nutrient-dense, I opted for bison as the meat and quinoa as the grain. At this point, I think most people recognize just how awesome quinoa is in the realm of health food; however, it shocks me how few people are familiar with bison. It’s as lean as poultry, yet as flavorful as beef. It’s truly a win-win. Furthermore, it is illegal to add growth hormones to bison, and the majority of bison are both grass fed and free of antibiotics. Of course, with all these benefits comes a higher price tag; yet, in my humble opinion, I think the splurge is worth every penny.

What you’ll need:

• 4 bell peppers, sliced in half vertically (from the stem downwards)
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup grape seed oil
• 1/2 a Vidalia onion, chopped
• 1/2 a pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 lb. ground bison
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• Cracked black pepper and Himalayan salt to taste
• 1 jar tomato sauce (my recipe here)
• 1 cup mozzarella, shredded

What you’ll do:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F
• To make the perfect quinoa: combine the quinoa and water in a small pot, bring to a rolling boil, turn the heat to its lowest setting, apply the lid, cook on low heat for 15 minutes, remove from heat, allow to sit for 5 minutes, remove the lid, and fluff with a fork
• While the quinoa is cooking, combine the onion, tomatoes, and 2 tbsp. of grape seed oil in a large frying pan; sauté over medium heat until soft
• Meanwhile, combine the bison and another 2 tbsp. of grape seed oil in a medium-sized frying pan; cook over medium heat until browned
• Combine the quinoa, onion, tomatoes, bison, basil, and desired amount of salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl; mix thoroughly
• Pour the jar of tomato sauce into a rectangular, glass baking dish; spoon the quinoa and bison mixture into the peppers; arrange the stuffed peppers in the baking dish as pictured; bake in the oven for 40 minutes
• Remove the baking dish from the oven and sprinkle the mozzarella over the peppers; bake in the oven for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted