These stuffed peppers have been a family comfort food for generations. This recipe includes ground beef and rice combined with a savory tomato sauce. The mixture is stuffed into the hollowed pepper shells. The peppers are baked to perfection and finished with shredded melty cheese. It’s a simple, homey dish that’s always a hit.
Preparation Tips
- Choose large, well-formed peppers that have fairly even bottoms for standing.
- Make sure you baking dish can accommodate all of the peppers in one layer. They will stand up better if they are arranged side-by-side.
- You can also halve the peppers horizontally, making 12 shallow cups. You won’t have the extra chopped pepper tops in the stuffing, but you could chop an extra pepper if you have one.
Recipe Variations
- Cheese: Add 1 cup of shredded cheese to the filling.
- Low Carb: Try lowering carbs by adding cauliflower rice instead of cooked rice.
- Meat: Replace the beef with ground turkey or chicken, or use part ground pork or a meatloaf mixture.
- Vegetables: Sauté 4 to 6 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the onions and celery. Or add about 1/4 cup of grated carrots to the vegetable mixture.
- Rice: Replace the rice with cooked bulgur, quinoa, or farro.
How to Store
- Refrigerate leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container and consume within 3 days.
- To freeze cooked stuffed peppers, place them on a baking sheet and freeze. When frozen solid, wrap each individual pepper in plastic wrap and foil and place them in a resealable bag. Label with the name and date and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Place leftover peppers in a baking dish, cover with foil, and heat in a 350 F oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until they reach 165 F—the USDA recommended minimum temperature for leftovers—in the center.
Classic Stuffed Peppers
The filling for these classic stuffed peppers includes ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, and melty cheese. The ultimate comfort food!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Comfort Food
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 large bell peppers, green, red, or combo
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I use 90%)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked long-gran rice (white or brown)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus some for garnish, optional
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (e.g., mozzarella, cheddar, or fontina)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F.
- Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and stems. Chop the edible part of the pepper tops and set aside.
- Place the pepper shells in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the peppers for 5 minutes, then drain and place them in 1 3-quart baking dish or one that will accommodate all of the peppers.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped pepper tops, onions, and celery and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to the skillet. Bring to a simmer. Simmer the tomato sauce mixture for 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the egg, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and Worcestershire sauce; whisk to blend.
- Add the ground beef, rice, parsley and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture; mix to combine.
- Stuff the pepper shells with the ground beef mixture and pour the remaining tomato sauce over them.
- Bake the stuffed peppers for 45 to 55 minutes or until the beef is thoroughly cooked. The beef filling should reach an internal temperature of at least 160 F (165 F if you use ground poultry).
- Top each pepper with shredded cheese and continue cooking for 3 or 4 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
