Description
A comforting and flavorful Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe featuring bell peppers stuffed with a savory mixture of ground beef, tomatoes, spices, cooked rice, and melted cheese. This oven-baked dish is easy to prepare and customizable with your choice of proteins and cheese varieties, perfect for a satisfying family meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Peppers
- 4-6 bell peppers (any color: green, yellow, red, orange)
Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef (or ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, tofu, or other)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional, for spicy)
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 14.5 ounces fire roasted tomatoes (canned, or diced tomatoes or tomato sauce)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup cooked rice (white, brown, or wild rice)
Topping & Garnish
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or a blend)
- Fresh chopped parsley (for garnish)
- Red pepper flakes (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare peppers: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Bring a pot of water large enough to cover the peppers to a boil. Wash bell peppers and cut off the tops, removing the seeds and membranes. If necessary, slice a small piece off the bottom so the peppers stand upright. Chop the extra pepper tops (discard stems) for later use.
- Blanch peppers: Boil the peppers in the water for 5 minutes to soften slightly; alternatively, you can roast them for 20 minutes to achieve softness. Drain and set peppers in a lightly oiled baking dish.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions, pepper tops, and jalapeno (if using). Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic: Stir in chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Cook ground beef: Add ground beef to the pan, breaking it apart with a spatula, and cook for 5-6 minutes until fully browned and no longer pink.
- Combine filling ingredients: Stir in 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 evenly combined.
- Stuff peppers: Spoon the meat and rice mixture into each softened bell pepper until full.
- Top with cheese and bake: Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of each stuffed pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until peppers are tender and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
- Garnish and serve: Let peppers cool slightly. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Bell pepper sizes vary, so you might need more peppers or have leftover filling. Extra filling freezes well for later use.
- Adding Worcestershire sauce to the filling enhances flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
