Who isn’t fond of pizza? It’s a universally favored food, but it oftentimes doesn’t contain much by the way of fruits or vegetables. So I’m excited to share today’s recipe with you, which is a spin of the tried and true: healthy stuffed pizza peppers.

Healthy Stuffed Pizza Peppers: An Easy Dinner Idea that Encourages Kids to Eat Vegetables

Stuffed peppers are certainly not a new idea; in fact I’m a big fan of these quinoa stuffed peppers, and also the Mexican version. What I love about them is that they are versatile and baked in one dish (read: not a lot of clean up – win!). But my favorite thing is that they are served up inside of a vegetable, a huge score for us moms who aim to get our kids to eat veggies! I decided that this was an opportune jumping point to make a version that kids would be fond of: stuffed pizza peppers.

I initially set out to make these quick and vegetarian, and was not planning to include any meat. But at the last minute, I ended up browning some ground beef and made half with the beef and half without. My family favored both versions, but I will say that the meat versions are definitely more filling and suited my husband much better who doesn’t know a meal that doesn’t contain meat;). If you are short on time, the veg version will suffice – but let’s be honest: it doesn’t take too long to brown some ground beef! Or even some sausage, if you can find some locally raised. Here are some other options for toppings that you may want to consider:

Toppings for stuffed pizza peppers:

• Chopped tomatoes
• Black olives
• Crumbled bacon
• Diced onion
• Small broccoli pieces
• Chopped pepper
• Mushrooms
• Jalepenos
• Pineapple
• Artichoke hearts

5 from 1 vote

Print

Healthy Stuffed Pizza Peppers

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Grain-free and gluten-free stuffed peppers with a pizza twist.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pizza

Servings: 6

Calories: 259.12 kcal

Author: Kiran Dodeja Smith

Ingredients

• 3 large peppers green, red, yellow or orange, halved and cored
• 1 1/2 cups pizza or marinara sauce
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese grated
• 3/4 lb. ground beef optional
• toppings to suit: onions olives, tomatoes, broccoli, pepperoni, cooked and crumbled bacon, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Cook beef (if using) and lightly spray a 9 x 11 baking dish.
2. Fill each pepper with beef (if adding), sauce, cheese, and then toppings.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is melted and peppers are cooked and somewhat crispy.

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Stuffed Pizza Peppers

Amount Per Serving (0 g)

Calories 259.12 Calories from Fat 161

% Daily Value*

Fat 17.85g27%

Saturated Fat 8.1g51%

Cholesterol 62.38mg21%

Sodium 536.96mg23%

Potassium 520.61mg15%

Carbohydrates 7.71g3%

Fiber 2.31g10%

Sugar 4.86g5%

Protein 17.46g35%

Vitamin A 757.89IU15%

Vitamin C 70.22mg85%

Calcium 167.77mg17%

Iron 2.13mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Feel free to get creative, and even set out toppings so that your kids and other family members can make their own. Mom tip: I always find that when I get my littles involved in choosing what they want to eat, they are more apt to actually do so and also enjoy it.

Let me know if you try these out and love them!

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.