Stuffed Bell Peppers

These Stuffed Bell Peppers are an easy and healthy dinner recipe that you can make with a variety of filling options, including ground beef, turkey, rice, cheese, tomatoes, and more!

Prep Time25

Cook Time55

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: Stuffed Peppers

Calories: 477kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

6 bell peppers of roughly equal size
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ lb. ground beef
½ lb. ground Italian sausage spicy or mild
1 small yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
Salt/Pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes undrained
1 ½ cups marinara sauce I love Rao’s
½ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1.5 cups cooked rice
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add 1 ½ cups water to a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Cut the tops of each pepper and remove the seeds/membranes.
Place the whole peppers top-side-down in the casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove water from the casserole dish once finished and set the peppers aside.
While the peppers steam, prepare the filling.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage and season it with salt and pepper. Cook and crumble it for 3 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the meat is brown and cooked through. Drain grease. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and Italian seasoning.
Add the tomato paste and brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it bubble gently and reduce/concentrate for 15 minutes or until little excess liquid remains. Stir in the cooked rice and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Fill each pepper with an even amount of filling and place in the casserole dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and top with cheese. (If there is any excess space around the edges of the pepper, I like to push cheese down into those spaces.) Bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips: (Find more pro tips in blog post above!)

You can use any combination of meat that you want to equal 1 ¼ lbs. Ground beef, sausage, turkey and pork are great.
The hot sauce is a flavor enhancer and doesn't make this spicy. I used Frank's Hot Sauce.
If you do want to kick up the heat, add a little extra hot sauce, a pinch of cayenne, and diced tomatoes with green chilies instead of regular diced tomatoes. Hot Habanero cheese can also be used instead of regular cheddar.
The tops of the peppers can be diced and added to the meat mixture when the garlic is added, or they can be saved for another recipe!
Cauliflower rice can be used instead of regular rice to make this keto friendly.

Make-Ahead Method

Steam the peppers and prepare the filling as outlined. Stuff each pepper.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Let frozen peppers thaw completely before baking.
When ready to bake, cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes if baking from a cold state. Remove the cover and top with cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the pepper is tender.

Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Leftovers can be reheated in a microwave or in a covered casserole dish at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per pepper. This recipe makes 6 stuffed peppers.

Nutrition