Classic Stuffed Peppers
Our Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe is a hearty, nutritious, delicious meal that’s easy to make. It provides a full, well-rounded meal in one healthy rice, meat, and veggie-packed bell pepper for a recipe that’s requested often in our house!
I love a nostalgic recipe like this that takes me back to childhood, especially when my kids ask specifically for it! Our Classic Stuffed Peppers have a bit more nutrition and a lot more flavor than the ones from my childhood, but all the cozy memories. They’re everything you need in one soft, tender bell pepper vessel!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are about a gazillion stuffed pepper recipes out there, I know. And I’m sure that you likely have your own in your recipe arsenal or a favorite that you’ve been using. But if you’ve found them lacking a bit in flavor or wished they packed in even more nutrition, then our Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe is one you’ll love! Plus, this recipe has some tricks and tips to make meal prep easier, faster, and has a quick bake time!
Ingredients Needed
- Bell Peppers – Growing up, we exclusively used green bell peppers because they were what grew in my dad’s garden, and they were more affordable. Now, we use some of each color!
- Ground Beef – We prefer something really lean (90/10) for this recipe, but of course, use what you have. A mixture of beef and pork is also delicious!
- Rice – White or brown works great, and this is a great recipe to make the recipe ahead of time (to save time) or a way to use up some leftover rice.
- Tomatoes and Tomato Paste – Freshly diced is our usual go-to, but you can of course use a can of diced tomatoes, drained. Just a touch of paste adds to the texture and depth of tomato flavor.
- Garlic and Onion – Staples for a savory dish in our house!
- Cheese – We love a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan, but cheddar or even gruyere are also great choices!
- Seasonings – Our Homemade Italian Seasoning, plus salt, pepper, and just a touch of chili powder, adds a great flavor!
- Worcestershire Sauce – This adds so much umami depth of flavor!
Easy to Make
Prep Peppers
This is where we add a little more nutrition! For those picky eaters who may just want to eat the filling inside and leave the pepper, ha, we dice up some of the pepper tops and saute them into the filling, too! There’s no escaping the vitamins and antioxidants of these bell peppers!
This step is key! A quick blanch of the peppers will ensure that the bell pepper vessels are nice and tender.
Make the Filling
Now, for the heart of the recipe, the filling! Veggie, beef, and rice packed, this filling has everything you need – with plenty of flavor.
Stuff
Finally, stuff those peppers and finish them with cheese, and you are ready to bake!
Classic Stuffed Peppers, done!
It really doesn’t get much better than this for dinner. All of the nutrition you need and a bright, beautiful presentation? These Classic Stuffed Peppers have it.
You Also Might Like
- Mini Sweet Pepper Nachos
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Spicy Chicken Kebabs
- Easy Chicken Scampi
- Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- American Potato Salad
Recipe Tips
This is an important step to ensure that your peppers are nice and tender. It will also help maintain their texture and will hold up better if you’re making these in advance and freezing.
This is a great recipe to prep in advance and make ahead! You can either do that the day before by blanching the peppers and cooking the filling and storing separately in the fridge to assemble and bake the day of, or you can freeze the assembled dish. Freezing them assembled also means that you can then cook just 1-2 peppers at a time! See recipe notes for more details.
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Classic Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers a mixture of colors!
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes or 1 14 oz can, drained
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning divided
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Prep the Peppers: Heat a large pot with water on the stovetop over high to bring to a boil. Meanwhile, clean the peppers by slicing off the tops and gently cleaning out of the seeds and white pith. Discard the seeds and pith, and dice some of the tops of the bell peppers and set aside 1 cup. Once the water is boiling, blanch the peppers for 3 minutes and then set aside to cool.
- Make The Filling: Preheat the oven to 375℉. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add diced bell pepper and 2 teaspoons of the Italian seasoning and stir and saute for another minute. Add the ground beef and continue to saute, breaking up the beef as it cooks. Saute for 6-7 minutes.Add the diced tomatoes and paste, mix well, and add the rest of the Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Stir to combine and cook for another minute before adding the rice and mixing well.
- Stuff the Peppers: Add the mozzarella and Parmesan to a small bowl and mix. Add the blanched peppers to a shallow baking dish, open side up. Gently fill the peppers with the cooked beef and rice filling and then top each with some of the cheese mixture.
- Bake: Bake on the center rack for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve and Enjoy!
