Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers with rice are how I turn one pound of beef into dinner for six. Savory, a little sweet from the pepper, salty where the cheese browns. My family likes these and I like them more.

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I do not fiddle with this one anymore. It has been the same recipe for years and it comes out the same every time, which is exactly what I want on a weeknight.

Each pepper cuts clean and stays in one piece on the plate instead of collapsing into a pile of filling. The peppers are tender all the way through and the filling holds.

ONE DISH DINNER

Why One Pepper Is the Whole Dinner in My House

I grew up eating stuffed peppers, and there is not much else from back then I still cook. Part of why these stuck is that a pepper is a complete dinner on its own. The meat, the rice, and the vegetable are all in there, so I am not standing in the kitchen at six o’clock trying to invent a side dish

What You’ll Need

Bell peppers: Any color works. Red, yellow, and orange are sweeter and bake a little softer, and green are firmer with the more classic bite. Pick ones that stand up on their own so they hold the filling.

Cooked white rice: The rice goes in already cooked, not raw. Raw rice will not soften enough inside the pepper and you end up with a crunchy filling. Leftover rice from the night before is what I use most often.

Petite diced tomatoes: These add enough moisture to bind the beef and rice and keep the filling from drying out. The petite dice spreads evenly so every bite is saucy without being wet.

Mozzarella and parmesan: Parmesan goes into the filling for a salty backbone. Mozzarella goes on top, where it browns and gives you the finish that makes people reach for one.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Rice

Step 1: Prep the Peppers Cut the tops off, then cut the good flesh away from the stems and dice it. That goes into the filling, so nothing gets thrown out. Stand the hollowed peppers up in the dish and shave a sliver off the bottom of any that wobble.

Step 2: Build the Filling Soften the onion and the diced pepper tops, then brown the beef with the garlic and drain it well. That drain is the whole difference between a filling that holds together and one that runs.

Step 3: Stuff and Top Pack the filling in and finish with parmesan then mozzarella. Do not bury it. You want some of the filling showing so the top browns in patches instead of turning into a cheese lid.

Step 4: Steam-Bake, Then Brown Water goes in the bottom of the dish and the foil goes on, sprayed so the cheese does not stick to it. Covered for 35 minutes, then uncovered for 10 more to brown the top. The peppers should give easily when you press one.

Make It Ahead and What to Serve

These are easy to get ready before a busy evening, which is why they earn their spot in my easy dinner recipes rotation. Assemble the peppers up to a day in advance, cover the baking dish, and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. If you are baking them straight from the fridge, add a few extra minutes to the covered bake time.

If you do want something alongside anyway, my creamy cucumber salad is cold and sharp against the warm filling, and garlic cheesy pull apart bread works if you want bread on the table.

Any filling that does not fit in a pepper goes over rice or into a tortilla for lunch the next day. For another hands-off weeknight option in the same spirit, my beef and pepper rice bowl hits similar flavors without the stuffing step.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

Here are a few more weeknight dinners my family asks for:

• Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
• Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese
• Sloppy Joe Casserole

Video

4.91 from 40 votes

Stuffed Peppers with Rice

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves — 6

Steam-baked under foil so the peppers finish tender at the same time as the filling, with no separate pot of boiling water anywhere in the process.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 6 bell peppers
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion diced
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 lb lean ground beef
• ▢ 1 tbsp minced garlic
• ▢ 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• ▢ 1 cup long grain white rice cooked
• ▢ ½ – 1 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 2 tsp oregano
• ▢ ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• ▢ ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the outside of the bell peppers.
• Start cooking your rice according to the package directions and set aside once done while prepping the rest of the dish.
  1 cup long grain white rice
• Carefully cut the tops off each of the bell peppers. Discard the green stem, but keep the top pepper flesh around the green stem. Dice the pepper tops.
  6 bell peppers
• Remove the seeds and the membranes from the peppers. Place the empty bell peppers in a 9×9 baking dish. If the bottoms of the  peppers do not sit flat, carefully slice a thin amount off the bottoms.
• In a large skillet, over medium to medium high heat, add the olive oil, diced yellow onion and diced pepper tops. Using a wooden spoon stir often, and cook uncovered for 5-7 minutes, until softened and opaque.
  2 tbsp olive oil, 1 small yellow onion
• Add the 1 lb of lean ground beef and the tablespoon of minced garlic. Continue using the wooden spoon to stir often and break up the ground beef as it cooks. Cook uncovered until ground beef is cooked completely.
  1 lb lean ground beef, 1 tbsp minced garlic
• Remove the ground beef mixture from the heat and drain. Return the ground beef mixture to the skillet and the stovetop.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the can of petite diced tomatoes and the cup of cooked rice. Stir.
  14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• Add the kosher salt, black pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low.
  ½ – 1 tsp kosher salt , 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp oregano, ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• Allow the ground beef mixture to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Evenly fill the peppers with the ground beef mixture. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the grated parmesan cheese over the top of the ground beef mixture.
  ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Sprinkle 1 ½ tablespoons of the mozzarella cheese on top of the peppers. (we want enough cheese to lightly cover the filling but we still want the filling to slightly pop through the gooey cheese)
  1 cup shredded mozzarella
• Pour ½ cup of water into the bottom of the pan to help steam the stuffed peppers. Spray the foil with cooking spray and cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. The cooking spray will help preventing the cheese to stick to the foil as it bakes.
• Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve while hot.

Jenn’s Notes

Tips:

• Cook the rice before it goes into the filling. Raw rice will not soften enough inside the peppers and the filling comes out crunchy.
• Drain the beef well after browning so the filling stays hearty instead of watery.
• The half cup of water under the foil steams the peppers tender, so there is no need to boil them first. Parboil for about 5 minutes only if you want them extra soft.

Storage:

Store leftover peppers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days and reheat in the oven at 350°F or in the microwave until hot.

Freeze them unbaked: assemble, wrap the dish tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as written.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 719mg | Potassium: 817mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4098IU | Vitamin C: 160mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 4mg

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