As you are probably well aware by now, Sunday is May 5th, better known as Cinco de Mayo. Time for a fiesta!! 🎉 While it’s reportedly a minor holiday in Mexico, here in the U.S., Mexcian restaurants are going to make a KILLING this weekend! So naturally, I wanted to post a really good Mexican-style recipe.

And that’s when I realized I didn’t exactly have many, LOL. What a fiesta fail! I know a few festive items that I make on the regular at my house: tacos, chips and salsa, guacamole, and stuffed peppers. But all of those seem so typical, so I thought I might mix it up a little for ya. Let’s live on the edge! How about Italian Stuffed Peppers on Cinco de Mayo?

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Italian Stuffed Peppers

• 4 medium red peppers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup kale leaves, finely chopped (optional)
• basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, all to taste
• dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup brown rice

Go ahead and get your rice going. Rice takes forever. Brown rice is even worse, but I think the flavor is better for this, plus it’s healthier.

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut off the top of your peppers and keep it beside the pepper you cut it from. You’ll need to match them back up later. Clean out the peppers and set them aside.

In a sauce pan, sauté the red onion in olive oil until translucent. Add ground turkey, tomatoes, kale, and seasonings. Cook thoroughly, then stir in the Parmesan and the rice and stir until fully blended. Fill your peppers about ¾ full with the turkey mixture, then top with Mozzarella cheese. I like to add a little extra sprinkle of salt, basil, and oregano on top of the cheese as well.

Cover the peppers with their matching tops and place in a baking dish just big enough to keep them standing upright. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until peppers are tender. You can serve these with black beans or rice or just eat them by themselves. So, so good!

If that is just not cutting it for you, and you really want something more Mexican-like, then take a look at this oldie but goodie:

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

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Or, for a snack with a Mexican twist, try adding cilantro leaves to your apple slices. It’s pretty tasty!

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No matter what you decide to do, have a great time this weekend, and have a margarita for me! 🍹