Orzo Lasagna Stuffed Peppers
OH MY GOSH!!! I cannot rave about these enough! Ironically, I am not the biggest fan of stuffed peppers… sometimes I feel as though there isn’t enough content in the pepper and the pepper to content ratio is so off, it may ruin the whole meal… not with these ones! Heck, if you don’t like peppers, just make it and eat the inside without the pepper part! No matter what these are a home run. Are you a big lasagna fan but just don’t want to have the loads of carbs and cheese? Well… this is the perfect meal for you. These are SO HEALTHY and BEYOND DELICIOUS! I cannot say enough good things about them. OH! I forgot to mention these are incredibly EASY!! You know me.. I am all about the easy/beautiful/ delicious trifecta.. and we have perfectly achieved that here!
I have a lot of Italian blood in my family, so it is a passion of mine to make Italian food for my family but limiting the excess bread or low protein vibes…. So that was the goal here: lower the carbs and dairy and raise the protein and vegetable content! Achieved. CHECK!
Problem: you don’t like mushrooms? Well, cut them up real tiny and you won’t even know they are there. They add this… hmm how do I say it.. unforgettable texture and filler taste that is irreplaceable. You’ll love it no matter what. All the tastey Italian flavors just compliment each other sooo well that there isn’t one ingredient here that stands out too much. It reminds me of a beautiful sunset where not one streak in the sky stands out… it just all blurs together to create a beautiful canvas image in the sky… ok well that is going to happen here but it will be dancing on your taste buds! SO FUN!
These definitely were a hit tonight. I made them for my in-laws and Boppa AND Grandma went back for more.. that’s when you know it’s good is when Grandma goes back too.. you know?
Substitute: alright I am not going to tell you what you should and shouldn’t substitute here because I literally think they are perfect… and so did everyone else! So do yourself a favor and go by the book on these. No need to go rogue. They are utterly fantastic just the way I have written them out!
Extras: If you have more content than what fits in your peppers, which may happen due to different sized peppers, zucchinis, more or less mushrooms, etc… I put the plain skillet mixture (without the pepper) in bowls for my kids and they loved it! And then I still had a bit leftover, thinking I would have it for lunch tomorrow but boppa and grandma and Sam all went back for leftovers and wanted the insides! So it truly makes the perfect amount even if you have extra after stuffing all your peppers!
Make ahead: I did not make these ahead of time but it would be easy to do so! Just make the skillet mixture, put it in a sealed container in the fridge, take it out, and then start at step 5. where you cut off the stems and stuff! Then you bake them of course after that:)
Ok friends, thank you for following along and thank you so much for being my fans! I have had sooo much fun cooking for my friends and family all these years, and I have now been blessed as of lately to have the opportunity to be cooking with thousands of you who are following along making these! It is a really special opportunity and I do not take it lightly! So when I say, HAPPY COOKING! Just know, I mean it:)
XX Shea
Yields: 6 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15-20 Author: Shea Steadman
INGREDIENTS
6 Bell Peppers
1 Cup Uncooked Organic Orzo Pasta
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Ground Turkey
2 Small Zucchinis diced in small bits
1/2 lb (About 2 Cups) Baby Bella Mushrooms diced in small bits
1 jar Marinara Sauce
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoon Fresh Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves (for garnish)
8 oz Ricotta Cheese (I used Kite hill Dairy- free)
4 oz Mozzarella Cheese (I used a Dairy- Free Alternative)
5 oz Parmesan Cheese (I used a Dairy- Free Alternative)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°
Cook Orzo according to package instructions. Set Aside
In a large Skillet, brown the beef, turkey, garlic, oregano and onion (do not drain excess fat). Add mushrooms, Olive oil, salt, pepper and Zucchini and Cook until Zuch is browned and Mushrooms are smaller and cooked through
Turn Heat down to low. Add Sauce, Parm and Ricotta and orzo and gently mix together.
Cut Tops off of Bell Peppers, De-seed them and cut out the green stem
Fill each pepper and place in a glass pan or cast iron pan
Top each pepper with mozzarella and place the stemless pepper top back on (Note: read the bolded note at the top of the page that starts with “Extras”)
Bake in oven for 15-20 mins or until cheese on top is melted and peppers are golden brown!
Top with fresh basil, and ENJOY!