Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
This stuffed bell pepper casserole tastes like classic stuffed peppers without stuffing a single pepper. Seasoned ground beef and chopped peppers simmer in tomato sauce, then long grain rice bakes right in it under a layer of melted mozzarella. Make it for a school night dinner or next day lunches. It all happens in one Dutch oven, stove to oven. It takes 1 hour 5 minutes and serves 6.
I love stuffed peppers. My mom made them all the time.
My husband Brooks is not a big fan of peppers. The green ones especially!
That’s the problem with a regular stuffed pepper. The pepper is the bowl, and it’s usually a green one because they are cheaper. You eat the bowl, and the pepper flavor is front and center in every bite.
In this casserole, the peppers (I use red and yellow) cook down into everything else. They stop being the serving dish and start being part of dinner.
And Brooks eats it. (I’m calling that a win.)
If you’d rather have these flavors with a spoon, my stuffed pepper soup does that. More ground beef casseroles are right below.
More Ground Beef Casseroles
- Grandma’s Ground Beef Casserole – egg noodles and seasoned ground beef baked in tomato sauce
- Bierock Casserole – cheesy ground beef and cabbage baked between layers of crescent rolls
- Salisbury Steak Casserole – ground beef patties baked in a French onion and mushroom gravy
- Philly Cheesesteak Tater Tot Casserole – ground beef, peppers and onions under a crispy tater tot top
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Ground Beef – I use lean ground beef (93/7). Ground turkey, ground chicken or spicy pork sausage work too.
Bell Peppers – Red, orange and yellow peppers are sweeter. Green peppers are more budget friendly and have a little more bite.
Italian Seasoning – Make your own with my homemade Italian seasoning, or use a mix of oregano and thyme.
Long Grain White Rice – Brown rice or wild rice can work, but they take longer to cook and may need more broth.
Beef Broth – Chicken broth or vegetable broth can stand in.
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How To Make Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the ground beef and onion until the beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat if you like.
- Add the diced peppers, garlic, and seasonings. Stir and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth.
- Bring to a boil, about 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the uncooked rice.
- Cover the Dutch oven, or transfer everything to a 9×13 baking dish and cover it tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the rice is tender.
- Uncover and top with the mozzarella. Bake 3 to 5 more minutes, until the cheese melts. Let it sit 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
What To Serve With Stuffed Pepper Casserole
I top mine with a spoonful of sour cream and some parsley. To stretch it for more people, add a side salad and crusty bread. For more vegetables on the table, I’ve linked a few oven sides at the bottom of the post.
How To Store and Reheat Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Leftovers: Keep them in an airtight container, or cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Warm it in a skillet on the stove or in the microwave, heating in short bursts until it’s hot all the way through. Or put the whole dish back in a 350°F oven, add a little more cheese and heat until the middle is hot and the cheese melts. If it looks dry, stir in a splash of broth first.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole Variations
More Heat – Swap the diced tomatoes with peppers and onions for diced tomatoes with green chilies or Rotel. Sprinkle red pepper flakes on with the cheese.
Different Cheese – Pepper jack, Monterey Jack or cheddar all work in place of the mozzarella.
Slow Cooker – Brown the ground beef and drain it. Add it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the rice is done.
Vegetarian Peppers – These quinoa stuffed peppers leave out the meat and are full of flavors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Lean ground beef, sweet onion, red and yellow bell peppers, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Then diced tomatoes with peppers and onions, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and uncooked long grain white rice. Mozzarella goes on top, with parsley to finish. Same flavors as old fashioned stuffed bell peppers, just in a 9×13.
Not for this one. Nothing gets stuffed. The peppers are chopped and cook with the ground beef on the stove, then bake with everything else, so they come out soft without a separate step.
Putting the rice in before the sauce is boiling. Covering the dish loosely, so the steam escapes and the rice doesn’t cook through. And skipping the stir halfway, which leaves the top layer of rice firmer than the bottom.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Wait for a real boil before the rice goes in. The rice starts cooking right away instead of sitting in warm liquid.
- Cover it tight. Crimp the foil around the edges of the dish. Gaps let the steam out.
- Stir once at the halfway point so the rice on top cooks as evenly as the rice on the bottom.
- Use a Dutch oven and it’s one pot from stove to oven. Fewer dishes to wash.
- Let it rest a few minutes after the cheese melts. It firms up and scoops cleaner.
Oven Side Dishes To Serve With It
- Crack Green Bean Casserole – a dressed up take on the classic green bean casserole
- Brenda Gantt Cabbage Casserole – cabbage and sweet onion baked under a buttery crumb topping
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots – brussels sprouts and carrots roasted in the oven
- Green Pea Casserole – peas, mushrooms and cheddar in a cream sauce with French fried onions on top
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- 1 cup sweet onion diced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper seeded, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeded, diced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with peppers and onions
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large skillet or dutch oven, over medium heat, cook the ground beef and onions until cooked through. Drain excess fat if desired.
- Add the diced peppers, garlic, and seasonings. Stir and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Stir to mix.
- Bring to a boil.
- Stir in the rice.
- Cover the dutch oven or transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.
- Cover tightly with foil.
- Cook for 30 minutes, stirring once, or until the rice is tender.
- Remove from the oven.
- Uncover and top with mozzarella cheese.
- Return to the oven and bake 3-5 more minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 3-5 minutes to cool.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Leftovers: Airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove, in the microwave, or in a 350°F oven. Add a splash of broth if it’s dry.
- Slow cooker: Brown and drain the beef, add everything else and cook on low 3 to 4 hours, until the rice is done.
- One pot: Use a Dutch oven and skip the 9×13.
- Swaps: Ground turkey, ground chicken or spicy sausage for the beef. Rotel for the diced tomatoes. Pepper jack, Monterey Jack or cheddar for the mozzarella. Chicken or vegetable broth for the beef broth.
- Recipe adapted from Savory Experiments.
Nutrition
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