Easy Stuffed Peppers Bolognese with Trader Joe’s “Just Sauce” Turkey Bolognese

These easy stuffed peppers bolognese will taste like you spent the afternoon in the kitchen but thanks to Trader Joe’s “Just Sauce” Turkey Bolognese, you’ll have dinner on the table in less than an hour. These stuffed bell peppers are filled with a mixture of rice and Trader Joe’s “Just Sauce” Turkey Bolognese, then topped with cheese and baked to yummy goodness. This is a classic dish turned into easy comfort food!

Confession: I love bolognese sauce, but I’ve made it at home exactly once. Homemade bolognese sauce is the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon at home, but it’s not a sit and let it simmer sort of recipe. As the sauce cooks, you need to be checking it frequently to make sure it doesn’t dry out or get too watery and you need to keep tasting to make sure the flavors continue to stay strong.

So, I typically get my bolognese fix from a restaurant.

That’s why I was excited to find this frozen bolognese sauce at my local Trader Joe’s: Trader Joe’s “Just Sauce” Turkey Bolognese. I was hoping it would be a somewhat diet friendly and quick way to get a bolognese fix at home without the time commitment.

And I was right! The sauce is pretty diet-friendly: 120 calories in a 1/2 cup serving. And, while I don’t sigh in blissful contentment when I take my first bite as I do at my favorite Italian restaurant, it’s still pretty damn good. Even better when I think about how I didn’t make it or pay a lot of money for it!

You can use this sauce anywhere you’d use regular spaghetti sauce, but I really love it in stuffed peppers which are one of my favorite comfort food recipes because a) I love bell peppers and b) it feels healthier because it’s inside a vegetable. It’s probably not, but I’ll take what I can get.

You could use Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice in this recipe and make it even more hands-off, but I make all my rice in this rice cooker and all you have to do to make perfect rice in this baby is measure out an equal amount of rice and water, flip the switch and wait, so I’m comfortable with that amount of work.

Stuffed Peppers Bolognese with Trader Joe’s “Just Sauce” Turkey Bolognese Ingredients

• 4 Bell Peppers
• 1 Package (12 Ounces) Trader Joe’s Just the Sauce Turkey Bolognese Sauce
• 2 Cups Prepared Rice (White or Brown, whichever you prefer)
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

How to Make Stuffed Peppers Bolognese with Trader Joe’s “Just Sauce” Turkey Bolognese Ingredients

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.

STEP TWO: Cut off the top of the pepper at the stem and remove seeds and membranes from inside the peppers.

STEP THREE: If necessary, cut the bottom of the peppers so they will stand up in a oven-safe Dutch Oven or deep casserole pan.

STEP FOUR: Prepare the Turkey Bolognese sauce by simmering on the stove until defrosted and heated through (about 10 minutes). You can also prepare in the microwave, but I love the smell of the sauce simmering on the stove.

STEP FIVE: Stir together rice, bolognese sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

STEP SIX: Stand peppers in baking dish and fill equally with turkey and rice mixture.

STEP SEVEN: Top with shredded cheese.

STEP EIGHT: Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.

STEP NINE: Remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is browned.

STEP TEN: Serve with a simple salad.

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