This recipe is almost an almost embarrassing array of trendy blogger foods. Pumpkin (Pin! Pin!) Quinoa (Tweet! Tweet!) I was this close to adding kale in the mix (Like! Like! Like!) but I saved myself at the last second by using spinach. I mean all this recipe is lacking is some Funfetti cake mix and my SEO optimization would FREAK OUT! It’s like the perfect recipe. The holy grail of the food blog world. That said, these peppers are freaking amazing. The harvest festival of Sukkot is this week, so we stuff our faces with seasonal fruits, vegetables, soups and stews like in my Pumpkin Kale Stew. And speaking of stuffed, we also eat stuffed foods like my favorite Stuffed Cabbage for a bountiful harvest. I decided to combine the two into this mega Sukkot recipe- Pumpkin Quinoa Stuffed Peppers! With cheese. Lots of cheese. Mmm cheese. And speaking of awesome things, Nektar, the honey crystals I used for this cocktail is now available at some Whole Foods. Mazel!! And don’t forget to enter to win all these new Manischewitz goodies!!
Anyways, here is all Jew need.
First up, cook your quinoa.
While your quinoa is cooking, prep your veggies. Wash your peppers, cut the tops off and clean out any pepper gunk on the inside.
Defrost your spinach and squeeze out all the water.
Then heat up two tablespoons grapeseed oil (or substitute most other oils). Saute onions over medium heat until they start to brown and then add in garlic for a second.
Then add in enough flour to make a roux- about 2 tablespoons. Look at you making a roux!
Then add in milk and cook for a few minutes until you have a thick sauce. Congrats you just made a béchamel!
Then add in the cheese- I highly recommend shredding it yourself as pre-shredded cheese has added crap in there that won’t make your sauce as creamy.
This sauce can also be used as the beginnings of mac n cheese. Ooh yeah. Add in seasonings- salt, pepper, sage, cinnamon and cayenne.
Then mix in the pumpkin, spinach and quinoa.
I didn’t say this was the prettiest recipe out there. I’ll reserve that for this one. The fill four peppers. Top with Panko mixed with melted butter.
Bake at 350 degrees F for an hour until peppers are soft and the breadcrumbs are browned.
Even dog approved!
These are super cheesy and super filling and super awesome. You are super welcome. And much like other stuffed peppers, even better the next day.
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1 small onion, small diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 – 1¼ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (or more to taste, up to 1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch cayenne
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin
- 1 10 oz package spinach, drained
- 1½ cups quinoa, cooked
- 4 large bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat up two tablespoons grapeseed oil (or substitute most other oils). Saute onions over medium heat until they start to brown and then add in garlic for a second.
- Then add in enough flour to make a roux- about 2 tablespoons. Look at you making a roux!
- Then add in milk and cook for a few minutes until you have a thick sauce. Congrats you just made a béchamel!
- Then add in the cheese- I highly recommend shredding it yourself as pre-shredded cheese has added crap in there that won’t make your sauce as creamy.
- This sauce can also be used as the beginnings of mac n cheese. Ooh yeah. Add in seasonings- salt, pepper, sage, cinnamon and cayenne.
- Then mix in the pumpkin, spinach and quinoa.
- The fill four peppers. Top with Panko mixed with melted butter.
- Bake for 1 hour until peppers are soft and breadcrumbs are brown.
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Yum!!! Just yum and definitely comfort food for a bubbe!
Thanks, Bubbe!
What a great combo! Love the pumpkin — never would have thought of that.
Thanks, Lauren!
Oh my gosh. This looks AMAZING. I think this needs to go on our menu rotation ASAP!!!
Thanks, Molly!
Do you have Calorie info for this and all your other great recipes?? I’m doing Weight Watchers and would love to be able to track my points for them….I need fat, protein, carbs & fiber info if you have it/can start to include it? thanks!!!
I’m going to look into this, Tara!
Oh, wow, are we trying THIS one! Hub recently discovered he likes peppers…Kid absolutely loves quinoa of any variety. Not sure I can sell them on the pumpkin part, but maybe I won’t mention it until after they love it. Shh!
You can hardly taste the pumpkin- it just adds creaminess! You can even add more cheese to make it richer!
Jew are AWESOME! I love the way Jew think and the way Jew cook! I made Hearty Pumpkin Chili with Hominy yesterday, which is a recipe coming out in My H-E-B Texas Life for October. Same with it; it thickens the sauce, but you can barely taste the pumpkin. I tell people if they want more pumpkin-taste, add Apple Pie Spice. Look forward to reading many of more of your recipes!
Thanks!! Yes I often add pumpkin to my chili too- it makes it super think! If I want to enhance the spice flavor, I add cinnamon, cloves, ginger, etc. Yum!
Hi Boone! I hope you shared
Boone is an excellent sharer! Except when it comes to squeaky dog toys. Those are all his.
I’m so impressed by these combinations!! looks so good.
Thanks, Prag!
Just popped these in the oven – the filling is delish! Wowee zowee! I may have doubled-ish the cheese and pumped up the cayenne, but that’s just me
Oh and I had enough filling for 5 yummy peppers, yay!
Woo hoo! The more cheese the merrier. Let me know how they turn out!
They turned out so well I’m making another batch this weekend : ) Great recipe, Amy!
Great news! Glad you like them!