Stuffed Bell Peppers

Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers with ground beef, vegetables, and rice in a beefy tomato base with Italian seasoning all topped with mozzarella and baked to perfection.

Course main meal beef

Cuisine Italian

Keyword how to make stuffed bell peppers, stuffed bell pepper recipe, stuffed peppers, stuffed peppers recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 501kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

6 bell peppers cut from top to bottom ribs and seeds removed
1 ½ lbs ground beef
1 small yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 ½ cups cooked long-grain white rice
½ cup low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Kosher salt and fresh ground black
1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
2 tablespoons chopped basil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange bell peppers on the baking sheet cut side up. Place in the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes. Turn the peppers over and roast for another 10 minutes.
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the ground beef is about halfway through the browning process add the onions. Cook until the beef is browned and the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low. Drain off any excess grease.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Add the diced tomatoes, cooked rice, beef broth, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning, Stir the mixture together and let it simmer for several minutes. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
Spoon the beef mixture into the peppers heaping them up a little bit. Divide the Monterey Jack Cheese over the peppers. Place the peppers back into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with chopped fresh basil.

Notes

Choose bell peppers that are blemish free with no soft spots or mold around the stem.
I like to cut my peppers from top to bottom instead of slicing off the top. There is less waste and less mess. They are easier to stuff, they hold more stuffing, and they sit on the baking sheet and plate better.
For optimal taste precook the peppers so you don't end up with crunchy peppers. Stuffed peppers are always better when the peppers are roasted tender.
Italian sausage can be substituted for the ground beef.
Minute rice and boil-in-bag rice come in really handy for this recipe. Leftover take-out rice works really well too!
Use any color of bell pepper that you like. I personally like to use a variety of colors for taste preference and presentation.
The stuffing can be prepared up to 2 days in advance Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat the stuffing at reduced power in the microwave adding just a little bit of beef broth if it is too dry.
Chicken broth can be substituted for the beef broth.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
To freeze first cool completely. Then place the peppers in an airtight freezer-safe container stuffing side up. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave at reduced power so you don't overcook the peppers.

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