Stuffed Pesto Peppers

Course Main Meals

Keyword Full Cal

Protein Beef

Meal Plan Category Week 9

Servings servings

Calories 473kcal

Ingredients

STUFFED PEPPERS:

2 large red bell pepper
12 oz 15% fat ground beef
1½ cups riced cauliflower
1½ cups zucchini shredded
½ cup yellow onion minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ cup pesto *
2 tbsp parsley finely chopped

HOMEMADE PESTO*

3 cups fresh basil packed
2 tsp garlic minced
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
½ tsp salt
¼ cup water to reach desired consistency

Instructions

PREP the pesto, combine all ingredients except for the water in a food processor and pulse until everything is well combined, but still a bit chunky. Pulse in the water about 1 tbsp at a time, until a spreadable consistency is reached.
PREP the stuffed peppers, preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the ribs and seeds. Place the peppers, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake for about 4 minutes, flip, and bake another 4 minutes, until slightly softened. Remove from the oven and set aside.
HEAT a large pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, riced cauliflower, and shredded zucchini for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the ground beef, season with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and continue sautéing for 10-12 minutes, until the beef is cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in the 1/4 cup of pesto. (Remember to freeze the remaining pesto from the recipe.)
STUFF the peppers with the ground beef mixture. Cover with foil and return to the oven for 10-12 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped parsley.

Notes

Yields: 2 stuffed peppers

Note: This makes about 1 cup of pesto. Reserve 1/4 cup for this recipe and freeze the rest. An easy way to do this is to spoon by the tablespoonful into an ice cube tray, freeze, then pop out and store in a ziploc bag. I cube = 1 tbsp of pesto.

Nutrition