Dairy Free Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Peppers
These stuffed peppers are not the traditional ones I grew up eating, however they are SO GOOD. Might even be better! Stuffed peppers are great because they can we eaten as is, or served over a rice or pasta. I chose to use cauliflower rice as my base because I enjoy eating grain free/low carb, however you can decide for yourself. Orzo or orecchiette would be good too!
I have been trying to cut out dairy as much as I can from my diet, and I’ve noticed a huge difference when it comes to bloating. I typically don’t eat a lot of dairy in the first place, however I was on a baby bell kick for awhile and I was always bloated at the end of the day. Making simple switches like cutting cheese as a snack, and using dairy alternative cheeses helped make dairy free easy and actually enjoyable! My actual favorite is the almond ricotta from Kite Hill, which I used in this recipe. It’s super creamy and rich, it almost tastes like a goat cheese. I prefer it to regular ricotta!
I used grass fed ground beef in the stuffing mixture, however it isn’t necessary. Turkey would be just as good, or you can even eliminate it entirely. I think lentils could be a good vegan option, however I can’t attest to it! If you are concerned about the lack of sauce, just double the amount of tomatoes to roast. When they burst all the juices release and it’s the perfect sauce sub.
Here’s how you make it.
Ingredients:
2 large bell peppers slice in half
1 container Kite Hill ricotta
1 lb ground beef
4 large cups of spinach
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
10 oz cherry tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Salt & pepper
Red pepper flakes
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 425. Brown the meat in a pan over medium and season with Italian seasonings. Drain fat and set aside. Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté onion for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and garlic and cook until wilted. Season with salt.
In a large bowl add the ricotta, nutritional yeast, spinach/onions, and ground beef. Mix together and fill each pepper with it.
In a baking dish toss the tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the stuffed peppers and bake for 30 minutes. Serve over cauliflower rice or orzo and enjoy!
