Stuffed Bell Peppers

These stuffed bell peppers are filled with a mixture of ground beef, tomato sauce and rice, then topped with cheese and baked to perfection. A classic dish that's comfort food at its finest!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 408kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

6 bell peppers any color, or a combination of colors
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef I use 90% lean
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
2 teaspoons garlic minced
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice do not use raw rice
salt and pepper to taste
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, divided use
2 tablespoons parsley chopped
cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray.
Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the ribs and seeds inside.
Place the peppers cut side down in the baking dish. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the dish.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
While the peppers are cooking, prepare the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until meat is cooked through.
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the rice, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the peppers from the oven and drain off the water. Turn the peppers over and fill each one with the beef mixture.
Top each pepper with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned and peppers are tender.
Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

Notes

Look for peppers with flatter bottoms so that they will stand up in the pan. If your peppers are not completely flat on the bottom you can cut a thin slice off to help them stay up better.
Be sure to use cooked rice in this recipe, raw rice will not work.
If you are using meat that has a higher fat content, you may need to drain excess grease from your pan after it is cooked.

Nutrition