Classic turned into one of the first “grown-up” dinners I learnt to cook dinner. Of that early repertoire, they continue to be the recipe I cook dinner maximum, due to the fact that with rice, floor red meat, cheese, and veggies, they are an all-in-one meal! Plus, they’re smooth to make AND genuinely delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Peppers Recipe
The Total Package. The beauty of crammed veggies (like crammed zucchini) is that your serving of veggies is built proper in! Add rice and protein, and you’re in enterprise.
Easy. You don’t want to cook the peppers earlier than stuffing them.
Budget-Friendly. Stuffed peppers flip humble, low-priced ingredients like rice and floor red meat into a properly-rounded meal (don’t leave out these other Ground Beef Dinner Ideas for extra wallet-friendly meals).
Loved the World Over. Similar to cabbage rolls, exclusive cultures have unique variations on this recipe, but these are the satisfactory crammed peppers in case you’re searching out that traditional version so a lot of us grew up with. Feel free to alternate up the kind of meat, swap the rice for another grain (like in Quinoa Stuffed Peppers), or use anything cheese is to your refrigerator.
Meal prep and freezer-pleasant. Don’t miss all of my guidelines below to make this recipe earlier to enjoy this week or months from now. Meal prep options make those perfect for a weeknight dinner!
How to Make Easy Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
Bell Peppers.
Use any aggregate of colours you choose. Red is my preferred; however, inexperienced works too!
Ground Beef.
Not just for hamburger casserole! Lean floor beef is hearty and pairs well with the spices, tomatoes, and cheeses. You may also make these crammed peppers with floor turkey, fowl, or sausage (Italian or ordinary).
Brown Rice.
To prepare dinner rice, see How to Cook Brown Rice at the Stovetop or make Instant Pot Brown Rice. For crammed peppers without rice, try this recipe with quinoa, farro, cauliflower rice, or al dente orzo instead.
Fire-Roasted Tomatoes.
A can of diced fireplace-roasted tomatoes is an easy trade that provides a more complicated flavour without sacrificing moisture. You could also use tomato sauce.
Fresh Spinach.
Fresh spinach cooks down and blends seamlessly into the filling, sneaking in some extra greens.
Cheese.
I used a combination of pepperjack cheese and sharp cheddar cheese. If you want a much less spicy version of the recipe, swap the pepper Jack for greater cheddar, or use gouda, muenster, or mozzarella.
Spices.
Italian seasoning, cumin, garlic powder (that’s faster and less complicated than garlic cloves), salt, and pepper make this from-scratch filling a long way from one-observe.
Slice the bell peppers.
Lay them in a baking dish.
Brown the Beef.
Add the seasonings.
Add the spinach.
It will wilt quite quickly.
Add the tomatoes.
Canned is perfect and offers a more exciting texture than tomato sauce.
Add the grains and cheese.
Rice and quinoa are my favourites. I love a combination of cheeses.
Fill the peppers.
Then top with greater cheese!
Pour a little water into the dish.
This is my trick, so that you don’t need to precook the peppers.
Bake.
Cook crammed peppers in the oven at 375 degrees F until smooth.
Recipe Variations
Culturally Inspired.
Italian stuffed peppers with mozzarella cheese, Greek crammed peppers with feta, and Southwest Mexican crammed peppers with black beans are tasty riffs.
Un-crammed.
This stuffed pepper casserole has the same elements and flavors, just deconstructed.
Vegetarian.
Vegan Stuffed Peppers are every bit as excellent; no meat is wanted. Or make easy vegetarian stuffed peppers using following the recipe above and the usage of a plant-based floor meat opportunity.
Pesto.
Stir several spoonfuls of basil pesto into your filling, or dollop it on top.
Varied education strategies. Grilled Stuffed Peppers, Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers, and sure, Crockpot Stuffed Peppers all have their place.
Creative.
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers are my husband’s all-time favorite.
Making Stuffed Peppers in Advance
Options 1: Prep the Filling In Advance
Cut and middle the bell peppers up to one day earlier and refrigerate.
Cook the filling as directed up to at least one day in advance. Let cool, then refrigerate.
Assemble and bake peppers as directed simply earlier than serving.
Option 2: Freezer Stuffed Peppers
Prepare and stuff the peppers as directed. Freeze earlier than cooking for up to three months.
When equipped to bake, thaw in a single day in the refrigerator, and bake as directed.
What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers
Cornbread.
Try Cornbread Muffins or bake up a pan of Mexican Cornbread.
Sautéed Vegetables.
Whip up sautéed spinach on the range whilst the peppers bake.
Sweet Potatoes.
One of my favorite vegetables to pair with peppers. Try air-fried candy potatoes or roasted sweet potatoes.
Salad.
Freshen up your plate with Strawberry Spinach Salad.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Don’t overbake the peppers.
If your crammed peppers are soggy, you possibly cooked them too long.
Make sure the peppers are fork-smooth.
When nicely baked, you ought to be able to easily pierce the filled peppers with a fork. If the peppers aren’t tender while the cheese is melted and the filling is warm, virtually tent the pan with foil and hold the baking until they are.
Cut the pepper in 1/2 from stem to end.
When making crammed peppers within the oven, I find splitting them from top to back fine. It lets you lay the peppers flat on their backs inside the baking dish, which makes for less complicated stuffing. If all your peppers don’t fit in one pan, you could bake the extras in a second, smaller baking dish, such as an 8×eight-inch pan.
Ingredients
Four massive bell peppers, any blend of colors you want; pink is our favorite
1 pound lean ground red meat or swap for ground turkey or floor hen
1 small yellow onion diced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups more or less torn clean spinach
1 (15-ounce) can hearth-roasted diced tomatoes with juices
1 cup cooked brown rice or farro, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or orzo (if using orzo, undercook it slightly)
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese or additional cheddar
For serving: chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom down via the stem. Remove the seeds and membranes, then set up the reduced side up in the prepared baking dish.
Heat a Dutch oven or similar deep, wide skillet over medium-high. Add the pork and onion. With a timber spoon or spatula, break the beef into small portions. Cook and stir until the beef is browned and absolutely cooked and the onion is tender, about 7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.
Stir inside the Italian seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Let’s cook dinner for 30 seconds.
Stir inside the spinach a few handfuls at a time, cooking till it wilts down; this can take between 1 and 2 minutes.
Pour within the can of diced tomatoes in conjunction with the juices. Let simmer for 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir inside the rice (or your grain of desire), 1/four cup of the cheddar, and 1/four cup of the pepper jack. Taste and add additional salt and/or pepper as desired.
With a spoon, mound the filling inside the peppers, then pinnacle with the final cheeses. The peppers will be very full.
Pour a bit of water into the pan with the peppers—just sufficient to scantly cover the lowest of the pan. I like to place the water in a liquid measuring cup, then cautiously pour it across the outside (be careful not to pour it into the peppers themselves).
Bake the filled peppers exposed for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the peppers are smooth and the cheese is melted. Top with parsley or cilantro. Serve warm.
Read also: Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe for a Healthier Twist
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