Description
Hearty Classic Stuffed Peppers are a quick dinner idea that feels cozy, filling, and full of homemade flavor. These easy stuffed peppers are loaded with seasoned ground beef, tender rice, tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella for a hearty baked dinner that works beautifully for busy weeknights, family meals, dinner ideas, and easy recipe planning.
Ingredients
4 large yellow bell peppers
1 pound ground beef
1 cup cooked rice
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a baking dish.
2. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and membranes, and place them cut side up in the baking dish.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Add the diced onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.
5. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
6. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess grease if needed.
7. Stir in the cooked rice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
8. Simmer the filling for 3 to 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
9. Spoon the filling evenly into the pepper halves.
10. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Remove the foil, top each pepper with mozzarella cheese, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender.
12. Let rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Cook the filling down slightly before stuffing the peppers so the final dish is rich and not watery.
For softer peppers, bake them covered the full first bake before adding the cheese.
Leftover cooked rice works especially well and helps this recipe come together faster on busy nights.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper half
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 78mg