Stuffed Bell Peppers
These stuffed bell peppers are filled with a mixture of ground beef, tomato sauce and rice, then topped with cheese and baked to perfection. A classic dish that’s comfort food at its finest!
Prep: 20min
Total: 80min
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 408 kcal, Carbohydrate 25 g, Protein 32 g, Fat 20 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Cholesterol 96 mg, Sodium 628 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 9 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 6 bell peppers (any color, or a combination of colors)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I use 90% lean)
- 1/2 cup onion (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice (do not use raw rice)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded, divided use)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
- cooking spray
Instruction:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray.
- Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the ribs and seeds inside.
- Place the peppers cut side down in the baking dish. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the dish.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- While the peppers are cooking, prepare the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until meat is cooked through.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the rice, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the peppers from the oven and drain off the water. Turn the peppers over and fill each one with the beef mixture.
- Top each pepper with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned and peppers are tender.
- Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
How to Make Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers | The Stay At Home Chef
FAQ
Do peppers need to be cooked before stuffing?
Some stuffed pepper recipes call for boiling your peppers before baking. Others don’t pre-cook them and they turn out too crunchy. Our research found that pre-baking the peppers for 30 minutes makes them perfectly tender! Once you stuff them, you’ll need 20 minutes in the hot even to get the cheese nice and melty.
What do you fill bell peppers with?
Stuffing bell peppers with your favorite pizza ingredients—pepperoni, tomato sauce, garlic, mozzarella, and basil—is a very good idea.
How long do you boil peppers before stuffing them?
If you don’t want that crispy texture in your bell peppers, you may blanch the bell pepper in a large pot of boiling water for about 2-3 minutes and let it dry on paper towels before stuffing it in with the beef and rice mixture.
Should I parboil bell peppers before stuffing them?
With baked peppers, the pepper itself should be nice and tender – not crunchy! Parboiling a pepper before stuffing ensures that its texture in the finished dish is perfect. Some people also find that parboiling peppers improves their flavor by taking away any bitterness.
