Roy’s Light Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

For 2 servings 3 Better Balance Bites/Blue Points

Calories 545 Fat 12.4g Carbs 45.3g Fiber 10.7g Protein 65.3g

For 4 servings 2 Better Balance Bites/Blue Points

Calories 272 Fat 6.2g Carbs 22.6g Fiber 5.4g Protein 32.7g

Ingredients

· Cooking spray

· 2 large red, yellow, or green bell peppers

· 1/4 cup diced mixed peppers, fresh or frozen

· 1/4 cup diced onion, fresh or frozen

· 1 cup riced cauliflower (see notes)

· 1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

· 8 oz ground chicken or turkey breast

· 1 tsp Italian seasoning

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon pepper

· 1/2 cup chickpeas, drained & rinsed

· 1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes (see notes)

· 12 Kalamata olives, cut into quarters (see notes)

· 3/4 cup Roy’s Light Tzatziki sauce (see notes)

· 3 oz fat-free feta crumbles

· 3/4 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cut each bell pepper in half vertically, removing the stem, seeds, and membranes. If necessary, trim the edges of the pepper to create a wider opening.

3. In a large pot, heat enough water completely cover the peppers until boiling. Add a sprinkle of salt to the water, then add the peppers and cook 2-6 minutes, depending on how soft you like your peppers. Remove the peppers from the water and either place them cut side down in the baking dish to soften further or cut side up in the baking dish if you want them firmer.

4. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions and cook to soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Add in the riced cauliflower and cook another 3-4 minutes to soften the veggies. Stir in the garlic and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Push the veggies to the edges of the pan.

5. Spray the center of the pan once more with cooking spray. Add in the ground poultry, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine the meat with the seasonings and cook over 5-7 minutes, breaking up meat, until the meat is no longer pink.

6. Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes, and olives and cook about 2-3 minutes to warm up.

7. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the feta and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. After 1 minute, add in the tzatziki sauce and stir through. Heat about 3 minutes.

8. Divide the mixture evenly among the peppers in the pan (peppers will be full). Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top, about 2 tbsp per pepper half. Spray the mozzarella with some cooking spray to help it melt more evenly.

9. Place in the preheated oven and bake 15-20 minutes. If you’d like a little color to your cheese, turn on the broiler and broil about 2-3minutes, keeping a close eye on the peppers.

10. Remove from the oven and serve or allow to cool completely before refrigerating if making these as a meal prep.

Notes

· You can chop up your own cauliflower (about 4 1/2 oz) and save some money or use store-bought. If you want to splurge, replace the cauliflower with rice, couscous, or whatever you would like.

· Fresh tomatoes are best, but you could use drained canned diced tomatoes.

· Use any type of fresh tomatoes you like: cherry, grape, plum, etc.

· You can use other olives if desired. You can also add more if you'd like, but it may alter the bites & points.

· You can use store-bought tzatziki, but it may affect the bites or points, though likely not by much.