Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers use nature’s own colorful bowl to hold a delicious filling of bell peppers, onion, garlic, ground meat, rice, tomato sauce, and a combination of cheeses. It all comes together perfectly for a simple yet filling meal. 

We don’t just use the cheese on the top, we like to use even more in the filling. We also use adobo to season the inside of the peppers before stuffing them. Our filling is loaded with sauteed onions, garlic, and more bell pepper. Don’t worry, we didn’t waste any peppers, we used the tops we cut off the peppers we stuffed. Trust us, this all adds an additional depth of flavor for those of you that think Stuffed Peppers are a bland meal.

Using Italian seasoning, plus mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, makes ours takes on an Italian flair that’s sure to please even the pickiest eater in your house.

If you have more rice filling than peppers, surround your peppers with the extra rice, top with more mozzarella cheese. I always make extra just for this. It can also be used under the peppers, it helps to stabilize them. 

Ingredients

Bell Peppers – you can use any color, we prefer red or yellow, they seem to be a bit sweeter.

Oil

Onion

Garlic

Ground beef (substitute with ground turkey, chicken, or plant-based alternatives like lentils or crumbled tofu)

Cooked rice (substitute with quinoa, couscous, or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option)

Tomato sauce

Salt

Pepper

Italian seasoning (optional)

Adobo seasoning (optional, substitute with Mexican spices or your preferred seasoning blend)

Fresh parsley (optional)

Parmesan cheese (substitute with nutritional yeast for a vegan option)

Mozzarella cheese (substitute with vegan cheese for a vegan option)

Directions

Start by preheating your oven to 375°F.

While the oven heats up, prepare the bell peppers by slicing off the tops and removing the membranes. For added flavor, sprinkle the insides of the peppers lightly with some seasoning. I use Adobo.

Save the tops, remove the stem and any seeds. Dice them into small pieces.

Place the peppers in a lightly greased baking dish that’s large enough to hold all of them.

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onions and diced pepper tops, cooking until the onions begin to brown.

Next, add the minced garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it up into smaller pieces as it browns.

Once the beef is cooked through, add the cooked rice, half of the tomato sauce, and any additional spices you’d like to use, such as Italian seasoning or Adobo seasoning. Mix everything together well and remove the skillet from the heat. If you prefer your peppers to have more sauce, feel free to add more tomato sauce at this point.

Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and minced fresh parsley to the beef and rice mixture.

Stuff each bell pepper with the mixture, then spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the tops of the peppers. Finally, sprinkle more mozzarella cheese over each stuffed pepper.

Cover the baking dish with foil and place it in the preheated oven. Bake the Stuffed Peppers for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on how tender you like your peppers. For crisp-tender peppers, bake for 1 hour; for softer, well-cooked peppers, bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Make Stuffed Peppers Ahead of Time 

You can prepare Stuffed Peppers in advance. Assemble the peppers with the filling, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before cooking. When ready to cook, remove the plastic wrap and follow the cooking instructions.

Storing Leftovers

Cooked Stuffed Peppers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, oven, or air fryer until heated through before serving.