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This simple dish combines ground beef, white rice, and peppers to make a mouthwatering meal. Making stuffed peppers is easy and is a quick weeknight dinner idea.
If you would have asked me to try stuffed peppers when I was a kid, I would have turned up my nose at you. But, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve expanded my horizons to try new foods. One Sunday night, I was trying to decide what to add to my weekly meal plan and stumbled upon a recipe for stuffed peppers.
I read through the list of ingredients for things I liked. Rice? Check! Ground Beef? Check! Cheese? Check! Tomato Sauce? Check! Peppers? Um, maybe? Since I liked the other items used to make them, I thought I’d give it a try. And do you know what happened? I FELL IN LOVE!!! Seriously. This is one of my absolute favorite dishes.
Since the first time I made this, I’ve slightly modified the recipe, so it is more what my family will love. And, I’ve shared it with my family members, who have raved just as much about it as I have!
Now, when it is time to figure out what to eat for the week, stuffed peppers are at the top of our family’s favorite meals list. Not only are they delicious, but they are a healthier dish too. And, you can make these peppers even better by swapping ground beef for ground turkey. We do this all of the time, and there is zero difference in the taste.
Making peppers for dinner is pretty easy, but you might still run into some snags or have a few questions. This may help!
Problem: The peppers will not stand up in the pan
Solution: If you find your peppers will not stand up so you can fill them, there are a few things you can try:
Slice off the bottom bumps so that it is level (don’t cut off too much as you don’t want to have the filling run out).
Create an aluminum foil bowl. Shape some foil and set the pepper inside and then place in the pan.
Use the right pan. I always use an 8×8 Pyrex pan to make theseas that pan is aperfect size!
Problem: I don’t know what to do with the tops.
Solution: The tops — or the lids as my kids call them — can be placed on top after cooking if you want to have a more finished style. However, there is no need. You can just toss them.
Problem: My family does not like rice.
Solution: There are many things you can use instead of rice. You can try cauliflower rice, corn, mushrooms, more beef, and cheese. The ideas are endless. You may have to try a few different ideas until you find the perfect addition to your stuffed bell peppers.
Find other great dinner ideas on our Entrees page!
CAN YOU FREEZE STUFFED PEPPERS?
Yes! Yes, you can! All you need to do is make a double batch, and then you can freeze the stuffed peppers individually or as an entire meal for the family. When you are ready to reheat, you will want to let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight if possible. Then place them in the oven until thoroughly reheated and enjoy!
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Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe
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3 from 1 review
This stuffed peppers recipe is not only easy to make but is made with real ingredients you will actually have on hand (and can pronounce)!
Author:Tracie
Prep Time:20 mins
Cook Time:50 mins
Total Time:1 hour 10 mins
Yield:41x
Category:Entree
Ingredients
Scale
4 large green bell peppers (can use red if you prefer)
1 lb of ground beef or turkey
1 Tbs. chopped onion
1 cup of cooked rice (Minute Rice is what I use)
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1 – 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut a circle around the top of the pepper so you can remove the top. This is the “lid”, which you can discard.
Use a spoon and scoop out all of the seeds and membranes inside of the pepper.
Add the peppers to a pot of water. Heat to boiling and cook for 5-7 minutes and then drain.
While peppers are boiling, brown the ground beef (or turkey) until cooked through.
Add in onion and cook until softened.
Drain and return to the skillet.
Mix in 1/4 – 1/3 cup of cheese.
Add the rice, salt, garlic salt and 1 cup of tomato sauce to the beef. Cook until all is hot.
Spoon the beef mixture into the peppers.
Stand upright in a small baking dish (recommended size is 8×8).
Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the peppers.
Pre-cook Peppers. When you bake peppers that are not pre-blanched or cooked, it is normal that they release their natural water – which can be easily avoided by pre-cooking beforehand. ...
Use Leftover Rice. Does this tip sound familiar to you? ...
TO STORE: Refrigerate stuffed peppers in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F. TO FREEZE: Freeze peppers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
I definitely suggest par-cooking the bell peppers first, just a little bit before stuffing them. Not only does this help to soften the bell peppers, but it also cuts down on your cook time. As the bell peppers are cooking you can make the filling, shaving off about 20 minutes from your total cook time.
The problem stems from the common practice of boiling the peppers to start. The goal is to tenderize them before they're stuffed and baked, but generally the poor fellas are over-boiled, which results in their tendency to fall apart and, as noted, be flavorless.
These days, I like to bake them early on in the week, then reheat them in the oven for fast, healthy dinners. Stuffed peppers are healthy. Lean protein, veggies, and whole grains: the gang's all here!
Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the baking dish and drizzle the peppers with a little olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted and lightly browned, another 15 to 20 minutes.
Refrigerating bell peppers ensures that the flavor and texture will remain, which is great because there is certainly no shortage of bell pepper recipes to enjoy. However, refrigerated bell peppers do come with an expiration date. When stored properly in the refrigerator, bell peppers can last up to two weeks.
The USDA says food that has been left out of the fridge for more than two hours should be thrown away. At room temperature, bacteria grows incredibly fast and can make you sick. Reheating something that has been sitting at room temperature for longer than two hours won't be safe from bacteria.
And while pre-softening them to some degree isn't a bad thing, it's easy to go overboard and end up with a mushy mess. Your best bet is to let the peppers spend a limited time pre-cooking at a high heat.
To easily stuff bell peppers and keep them upright during baking, arrange and then bake them in a Bundt, tube, angel food, or muffin pan (spray with nonstick spray first). The peppers stay upright, freeing your hands for assembly.
Remove seeds and membranes; rinse. Place peppers, with tops, upright in ungreased 9x12 inch glass baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave until hot, 3 to 4 minutes--(note: do NOT cook peppers until done, you are just blanching them, 3 to 4 minutes should be plenty, depending on the size of your peppers).
Potassium and calcium help produce nice thick pepper walls that not only taste better but also resist fruit rot. These nutrients should be added when turning under the remnants of the year's garden.
Using a large crafting needle, thread light string or a heavy thread through the stems of the peppers. Hang the string of peppers in a well-ventilated room since high humidity can cause the peppers to spoil. The peppers should dry within about four weeks. Peppers can also be sun dried.
Roasting lightly oiled peppers at a high heat gives the outside a chance to release some moisture so they can brown a bit, and placing the cut peppers face-side down allows that moisture to drain out rather than making them sit in their own liquid and get mushy.
The most elemental reason when pepper walls are not thick is that immature fruit is being picked. Sometimes it's hard to tell when fruit is ripe, or sometimes patience isn't one of our virtues. Many peppers appear to be full sized, so we pick them only to find a thin wall on the peppers.
Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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