Mexican Stuffed Peppers & Zucchini

by | Nov 19, 2018 | Batch Cooking/Meal Prep, Lunch/Dinner, Uncategorized, Vegetarian/Vegan

A vegetarian Mexican inspired recipe made with quinoa, black beans and salsa. These stuffed peppers and zucchini are a quick, delicious and healthy weeknight dinner that can also be made ahead of time and frozen – perfect for meal prep!

This is a great dish for Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday! Hope you enjoy it just as much as I did!

Some recipe notes:

You can easily make these vegan by using a vegan cheese or omitting it.

I used a Pineapple Salsa (Newman’s brand). You can use any type of jarred salsa, but one with fruit (such as mango) can add a nice sweetness to the filling.

At the bottom of the recipe you will see some notes about how to make these can be frozen for cooking in advance.

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Mexican Stuffed Red Peppers & Zucchini

Delicious and healthy freezer friendly meal!

Ingredients

  • 1 large zucchini
  • 4 bell peppers (orange, red or yellow)
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen or canned corn
  • 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
  • 2 cups water or broth for cooking quinoa
  • 1 cup salsa (I used Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa)
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1-2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F

  2. Cook quinoa. Stove top: Place 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water or broth in a pot. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Instant Pot: Place 1 cup quinoa and 1.5 cups water or broth in the instant pot. Cook on Manual High Pressure for 1 minute and allow steam to release naturally. 

  3. Wash the bell peppers and slice in half. Remove the seeds and membranes. Wash the zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the insides, but leave a bit of the flesh to create a boat. 

  4. Place the zucchini in a small pyrex dish and cook for 10-15 minutes in the oven to pre-cook and soften before adding filling. Arrange the peppers in a larger pyrex (this does not go in the oven)

  5. In a pan, heat oil to medium heat. Cook the onions and garlic for a few minutes until they soften. Turn down to low-medium heat. Chop the zucchini flesh into small pieces and add to the pan. Add the black beans, salsa, chili powder, cumin, paprika and stir. Add in the quinoa. Taste and season to taste. Add in 2 tbsp of the cheese. 

  6. Evenly stuff the peppers and the zucchini with the filling, packing if necessary. 

  7. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 30 minutes (until the peppers are cooked to your desired texture - you can cook them longer for softer peppers). 

  8. Remove from the oven when at your desired texture and top the peppers and zucchini with about 1-2 tbsp shredded cheese (or more or less to your preference). Place back in the oven uncovered for 5 minutes. 

  9. Remove from oven and enjoy! Top with sour cream or guacamole if you desire. These should be good in the fridge for several days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave before eating. 

For freezing:

  1. If you would like to make these in advance and freeze, freeze the unbaked peppers and zucchini (without the cheese on top). Freeze in a Tupperware or covered baking dish. When ready to cook them, let them thaw in the fridge for a few hours. Follow the same cooking instructions, you may need to add about 5 minutes. Then add the cheese and cook uncovered, as above. 

Recipe Notes

If you cannot find Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa - any brand will do! You can use regular salsa or try looking for a pineapple or mango salsa from another brand. 

Andrea Docherty, RD