Description
Ground beef stuffed peppers are stuffed with flavorful seasoned ground beef, rice, cheddar cheese, and tomato sauce. A delectable classic!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice I used white jasmine rice
- 6 large bell peppers any color
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese blend, divided
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make some if you don’t have any cooked rice (this step can be done ahead of time if you want). I usually just make 1/2 cup uncooked rice, which yields slightly more than you’ll need for this recipe, and save the rest for another time.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and position the rack in the center. In the meantime, prepare your ingredients. Cut the tops off the peppers like you would a pumpkin (as evenly as possible so the filling doesn’t fall out). Remove any remaining seeds/membrane. Chop the usable portion of the pepper tops (you’ll use it in the filling).
- Place the peppers in a baking dish, cut side up (I used a 9×13). Fill the bottom of the dish with one cup of water (the peppers will steam and cook faster).
- In a skillet, combine the oil, onion, and pepper tops, chopped. Cook for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
- To the skillet, add the ground beef. Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, breaking it up as you go (about 8 minutes). Remove the majority of the fat/liquid with a spoon.
- Stir in the garlic, crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning. Allow it to warm through before removing the pan from the heat.
- Combine the cooked rice and 1/2 of the cheese in a mixing bowl. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste (give it a taste). I used a generous amount of salt and pepper. Fill the peppers with the mixture.
- Wrap the baking dish in foil tightly. Preheat the oven to 400°F and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven. The peppers should still be slightly firm to the touch (you don’t want them to go limp and fall apart, but if they’re too firm, cook them for a little longer). Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Return the peppers to the oven (uncovered) for 5-10 minutes more, or until the cheese is melted. If you want the cheese to be slightly browned, broil it for a few minutes at the end.
Notes
This recipe works best with bell peppers of approximately the same size. I also look for ones with four “bumps” on the bottom because they are less likely to fall over.
The Kitchn’s cooking technique was adapted.
Nutritional information is provided solely as a courtesy and should be interpreted as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients are subject to change, and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees about the accuracy of this information.
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 servings
- Calories: 389kcal
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 388mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 86mg
Keywords: stuffed peppers, lunch ideas, ground beef stuffed peppers recipe, classic stuffed peppers