How to Make Easy Stuffed Peppers Tomato Sauce

Dinner is ready in a flash with this Easy Stuffed Peppers Recipe! Filled with hearty ground beef, tender rice and topped with melty cheese, these classic stuffed peppers are an instant family favorite!

I'm a huge fan of stuffed peppers! I've made them in the slow cooker, filled with macaroni, and even deconstructed in a skillet. But what I haven't share with you yet, is the base of my inspiration – the original stuffed pepper casserole!

Easy Stuffed Peppers Recipe

This is the OG of stuffed peppers. The classic. And honestly, one of the easiest comfort food dinners out there.

It's perfect for a busy weeknight, having company over, or served for Sunday supper. You can't go wrong with this dish!

Ingredients Needed

Grab these ingredients and let's get going! Keep in mind, a lot of these ingredients can be interchangeable to customize the recipe to your preference.

• Large Bell Peppers – use a variety of colors to brighten up the dish.
• Ground Beef – you can swap in ground turkey
• Diced Onion
• Garlic
• Cooked Rice – works great with brown rice, wild grain, quinoa, bulgar, or any small cooked grain!
• Petite Diced Tomatoes – use the Italian seasoned tomatoes for extra flavor
• Tomato Sauce – add in extra sauce if you like it saucier
• Shredded Zucchini – my favorite way to sneak in extra veggies! A cheese grater works great!
• Italian seasoning – use my homemade blend for the BEST flavor
• Mozzarella Cheese – try swapping 1/4 cup of the mozzarella with parmesan cheese for extra flavor

How To Make Them

• Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the tops off of your peppers and pull out the seeds and membranes, creating a nice cavity inside.
• Dip the peppers into the boiling water, letting them cook for just 2 minutes, then pull them out and drain on paper towels.

• Meanwhile, brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet, then drain any fat.
• Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant. Next, toss in the cooked rice, half of the tomato sauce (save the other half for later), diced tomatoes, shredded zucchini, Italian seasoning and salt.

• Spoon the ground beef and rice mixture into each of the prepared bell peppers.
• Top the stuffed peppers with the remaining tomato sauce, then cover casserole dish with foil.

How Long To Cook Stuffed Peppers?

Since we've already par-boiled the peppers and cooked the filling on the stove top, it really doesn't take much longer to finish these peppers off in the oven!

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for 15 more minutes.
• Top with cheese and continue baking until cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.

Tips, Variations & More

Can I Use Brown Rice –Yes, definitely! This recipe uses cooked white rice, but you can easily substitute in cooked brown rice or any other cooked grain.

Can I Use Ground Turkey –Yes, you can! Substitute in equal amounts ground turkey, sausage, pork, etc. for the ground beef.

Slow Cooker? – Using the slow cooker is a great way to prep this recipe ahead of time and let it cook during the day. You can skip the pre boiling of the peppers and just go right into stuffing! Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

How To Freeze Stuffed Peppers – These are great for making ahead of time and freezing. Freeze them prior to baking, then just pop them into the oven from frozen (covered in foil) and cook until heated through. Finish the rest of the way as stated in the recipe below.

How To Make Peppers Stand Up – Sometimes the peppers don't want to stand up on their own. Simply trim a little off the bottoms until they are even and they should stand perfectly!

Side Dishes To Serve With

This Easy Stuffed Peppers Recipe is almost a meal in itself, but we love to pair them with these easy side dish options too.

• Caesar Salad
• 2 Ingredient Dough Garlic Breadsticks
• Classic Mashed Potatoes
• Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Craving More? Try These Stuffed Pepper Recipes –

Here are some more delicious and easy Stuffed Pepper recipes to try!

• Slow Cooker Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers with Mashed Potatoes
• Steakhouse Stuffed Peppers
• Easy Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers Skillet
• Beef and Macaroni Stuffed Peppers
• Couscous Stuffed Peppers

Easy Stuffed Peppers Recipe

This hearty Italian-inspired Stuffed Pepper Casserole is another quick and easy weeknight dinner that the family will love!

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 273 kcal

• 6 bell peppers, variety of colors
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• ½ cup onion, diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1 tsp salt
• 14 oz. petite diced tomatoes
• 8 oz. tomato sauce, divided
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the tops off of your peppers and pull out the seeds and membranes, creating a nice cavity inside. Dip the peppers into the boiling water, letting them cook for just 2 minutes, then pull them out and drain on paper towels.

• Meanwhile, brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet, then drain any fat. Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant. Next, toss in the cooked rice, half of the tomato sauce (save the other half for later), diced tomatoes, shredded zucchini, Italian seasoning and salt. Stir to combine and cook until heated through.

• Spoon the ground beef mixture into each of the prepared peppers and then place in a casserole dish. Top each pepper with about a tablespoon of the tomato sauce and cover the dish with foil.

• Bake for 10 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese and bake 3 more minutes, or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Calories: 273 kcal | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 9 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 62 mg | Sodium: 847 mg | Potassium: 936 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 11 g | Vitamin A: 4210 IU | Vitamin C: 166 mg | Calcium: 157 mg | Iron: 4 mg

Keywords: Ground Beef, mozarella cheese, stuffed peppers

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