Stuffed Bell Peppers with Cheese
These stuffed bell peppers are packed with ground beef, tomato sauce, and rice mixture, then topped with cheese. A classic recipe that embodies comfort cuisine to the fullest!
Many people enjoy making stuffed vegetables, including stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage, and stuffed zucchini. This recipe is so popular that most families ask for it repeatedly.
Bell peppers that have been stuffed are delicious, which is why they’ve been so popular for so many years. Serve your stuffed peppers by themselves or with a side salad for a delicious lunch that the whole family will enjoy.
Stuffed Bell Peppers Ingredients
- Bell peppers: You can pick bell peppers of any color you like. Pick peppers with flat bottoms so they may support themselves in the baking dish.
- Ground Beef: 90% lean ground beef offers plenty of flavors and no fat, so you might want to utilize it. You might need to remove extra grease from the pan after the meat has finished cooking if it has a greater fat content.
- Rice: Cooked rice is required for this recipe. It is quite fine to use leftover rice.
- Onions: The onions, which should be finely sliced, provide the meat and rice mixture a lot of flavors.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder are used to season everything. Tomato sauce provides flavor and moisture. The cooked peppers are wonderful, with a garnish of parsley on top.
- Cheese: Most people make this recipe using freshly grated mozzarella cheese, but if you like, feel free to use your favorite cheese instead.
How Are Stuffed Bell Peppers Made?
First, slice the tops off and scoop out the seeds from the bell peppers to prepare them. Before adding the filling, bake the empty peppers to make them pliable. Brown the beef in a pan and crumble it while the peppers are roasting. Cook the vegetables until they are tender after adding the onion and garlic to the pan.
The beef should then be combined with the rice, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Use a spoon to insert the final beef mixture into the peppers. The peppers’ tops should now have cheese on them. Bake. Serve and savor the dish after adding a final garnish of fresh parsley.
Stuffed Peppers Tips
- To ensure that each bell pepper cooks at the same rate, look for bell peppers that are roughly the same size.
- If the pepper cannot stand on its own, then you have to cut a tiny slice from the bottom to level it.
- Use bell peppers of whichever color you like. For each color, the cooking procedure is the same, and the food will be more colorful as a result.
RECIPE FAQS
Should peppers be boiled before being stuffed?
Before being stuffed, peppers must be cooked to make sure they are soft. You can skip the par-baking stage for a crispier pepper.
Can you prepare stuffed bell peppers in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the stuffed peppers in advance. All of the recipe’s instructions should be followed, with the exception of topping the peppers with cheese. When you’re ready to serve, top the peppers with cheese and bake them for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F. Bake them for 10 more minutes after removing the covering.
How should stuffed peppers be warmed up?
You can reheat the stuffed peppers in the oven or microwave. Bake the peppers in a covered dish at 350O F for about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through, to reheat in the oven. Cook each pepper for two minutes on high power in the microwave to reheat them.
What do I put alongside the stuffed peppers?
Serve your peppers with a vegetable-based side dish like green beans, broccoli, or a green salad. Adding sliced baguette bread is an option for those with bigger appetites.
STUFFED BELL PEPPER VARIATIONS
Although these meaty stuffed peppers are excellent as is, you can alter them to your preferences.
- Meat: Turkey or sausage can be used in place of ground beef.
- Grains: Instead of rice, try quinoa or orzo.
- Veggies: These peppers taste fantastic when other veggies, like sliced zucchini, olives, or corn, are added to the mixture.
- Cheese: Other cheeses, including cheddar or Monterey Jack, can be used to top the peppers.
STUFFED BELL PEPPERS WITH CHEESE FULL RECIPE
These stuffed bell peppers are packed with ground beef, tomato sauce, and rice mixture, then topped with cheese. A classic recipe that embodies comfort cuisine to the fullest!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Preparation Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr.
Total Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Servings: 6
Calories: 408kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 6 bell peppers (you can use any color of your choice or combine colors)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (you can use 90% lean)
- 2 teaspoons garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup onion (finely chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice (do not use raw rice)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 15-ounce can of tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided, shredded use)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
- Cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray cooking spray in a large baking dish.
- Slice off the peppers’ tops, then scoop out the ribs and seeds.
- In the baking dish, put the peppers cut side down. Fill the dish with 1 1/2 cups of water.
- Bake the dish for 25 minutes with the foil covering.
- Prepare the filling while the peppers are cooking. Then, warm your olive oil in a large pan Over medium heat.
- Salt and pepper the ground beef before adding it.
- Boil the meat for five to six minutes, breaking it up with a spatula until it is thoroughly cooked.
- Add the onion to the pan and cooked for 3–4 minutes or until tender. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds after adding it.
- Add Italian seasoning, tomato sauce, and rice. To blend, stir. Add a half cup of cheese along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Drain the water from the peppers after removing them from the oven. After flipping them over, stuff each pepper with the beef mixture.
- Put the remaining cheese on top of each pepper. For 20 minutes, bake with a cover. Remove the cover and bake for an extra 10 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and the cheese has melted and browned.
- After adding parsley, serve.
NOTES
- In order for the peppers to stand upright in the pan, look for peppers with flatter bottoms. If your peppers are not entirely flat, you can cut just a thin slice from the bottom to enable them to stand steadily.
- Be sure to cook the rice first.
- You might need to drain more grease from your pan after the meat has cooked if it has a greater fat level.
NUTRITION
Carbohydrates: 25g |Calories: 408kcal | Protein: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Potassium: 912mg | Sodium: 628mg| Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4335IU | Fiber: 4g | Vitamin C: 160mg | Iron: 4.1mg | Calcium: 186mg