Rainbow Stuffed Peppers

Four colors of bell peppers halved and stuffed with a Tex-Mex filling of ground turkey, refried beans, corn, rice, and green tomatillo salsa. The name isn’t just cute. Red, green, yellow, and orange peppers on a baking dish actually look like a rainbow, and each color tastes slightly different.

The filling leans on refried beans as the binder. They hold everything together and give the mixture a creamy, substantial base that ground turkey alone can’t provide. Corn kernels add pops of sweetness, cooked rice stretches the filling, and the tomatillo salsa brings a tangy, bright acidity that keeps it all from tasting heavy.

Blanching the pepper halves for three minutes before stuffing is a step worth doing right. It softens them just enough to be tender after baking without turning them into limp shells. Invert them to drain thoroughly so water doesn’t pool in the bottom and make the filling soggy.

Cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder season the turkey as it browns with diced red onion. Simple spices, but they hit the right notes for this style of cooking.

Chef Tips

• Brown the turkey fully before adding the other filling ingredients. Grayish, under-browned meat tastes bland
• Use green tomatillo salsa specifically. Red salsa works but won’t give you the same bright, citrusy tang
• Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. The trapped steam finishes cooking the peppers and keeps the filling moist
• Serve with extra salsa, sour cream, and shredded cheese on the side for topping

Variations

• Black bean swap: Replace refried beans with whole black beans for more texture and a slightly lighter filling
• Cheese-topped: Sprinkle shredded cheddar or pepper jack over the stuffed peppers during the last 10 minutes of baking
• Vegetarian: Skip the turkey, double the beans, and add diced zucchini for a meatless version