Description
This Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe features vibrant bell peppers filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, fire roasted tomatoes, rice, and cheese, baked to perfection. It’s a comforting and flavorful meal that can be customized with different proteins and cheese varieties, making it perfect for family dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vegetables
- 4-6 bell peppers (any color - green, yellow, red, orange)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional, for spicy)
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
Meat and Dairy
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef (can substitute ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, tofu, or similar)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or blend)
Pantry Items
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 14.5 ounces fire roasted tomatoes (canned; or use diced tomatoes or tomato sauce)
- 1 cup cooked rice (white, brown, or wild rice)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Garnish
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Peppers: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and bring a pot of water large enough to cover the bell peppers to a boil.
- Clean and Cut Peppers: Wash the bell peppers, cut off the tops, and scoop out the seeds and membranes. To help them stand upright for baking, slice a small part off the bottom if needed. Chop the removed tops (excluding stems) to use later when cooking the filling.
- Blanch Peppers: Boil the prepared peppers in the water for 5 minutes to slightly soften. Alternatively, you may roast the peppers for 20 minutes if preferred. Then, place the softened peppers into a lightly oiled baking dish.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, chopped bell pepper tops, and jalapeno if using. Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add Garlic: Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
- Cook Ground Beef: Add ground beef to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking it apart with a spoon until cooked through and browned evenly.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes, paprika, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper, and cooked rice. Mix well and remove from heat.
- Add Cheese to Filling: Stir in half of the shredded cheese until fully incorporated into the meat mixture.
- Stuff Peppers: Fill each softened pepper with the meat and rice mixture. Top each pepper with the remaining shredded cheese evenly.
- Bake: Roast the stuffed peppers in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers reach your desired tenderness and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Allow the peppers to cool slightly before garnishing with fresh chopped parsley and red pepper flakes. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- Bell pepper sizes vary; you may need more or fewer peppers depending on size. Leftover filling freezes well for future meals.
- Worcestershire sauce adds a nice depth of flavor if you want to include it in the meat mixture.
- You can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, or even tofu for different dietary preferences.
- To soften the peppers without blanching, roasting for 20 minutes is an alternative method before stuffing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 534 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 419 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 103 mg
