Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers

I made this recipe last night and it turned out great! I have made other similar recipes for stuffed bell peppers before, but some were a little lacking in flavor. I think the secret to this one is the chipotle chili powder I picked up from Central Market this weekend (love that place) and the tomato paste. I choose to make this with ground turkey, but it can also be made with ground beef or even ground bison!

Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cilantro (dried or fresh)
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder (add more if you like spicier food)
1 15 oz can black beans
1 6 oz can tomato paste
water
2 cups spinach, chopped
4 large bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
salt and pepper to taste
Cheese (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a pan over medium high heat, add oil, onion, and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes, add ground turkey, crumble with a wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink.

2. Once the turkey is fully cooked, add spices, beans, and tomato paste. This mixture will be pretty thick, so thin it out a bit with some water. I ended up refilling the entire tomato paste can and dumping it in.

3. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Meanwhile, prep the bell peppers by sprinkling the inside with salt and pepper.

4. Take the turkey mixture off the heat and add the spinach. Stir into the mixture until combined. Next spoon about a quarter of the mixture into each bell pepper. Sprinkle cheese on top if you wish, then place each bell pepper on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bell pepper is tender.

B said he wasn't hungry before I made these, but he ended up eating two. And trust me, these are a pretty sizable portion. He probably would have eaten 3 if I wasn't saving that one for lunch tomorrow. So I would say they got his seal of approval.

Enjoy!