Stuffed Peppers – Spend With Pennies

These stuffed peppers seem fancy but they’re easy to make and jam-packed with flavor!

Stuffed bell peppers are filled with a zesty ground beef, sausage, and rice filling, topped with cheese and baked until bubbly. 

Serve these with a fresh salad and some crusty bread (for sopping up any sauce).

Our Fave Easy Stuffed Peppers

• Stuffed peppers can be prepared ahead of time and they reheat and freeze well.
• Stretch stuffed pepper filling with extra chopped veggies.
• If your peppers are small and you have leftover filling, fill zucchini or even wrap it up cabbage roll style!
• If you’d like them extra saucy, add extra marinara to the baking pan.

Ingredients for Stuffed Peppers

• Meat—I use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. Feel free to use just one or the other (or sub in ground turkey). If you don’t use sausage, add some extra seasoning.
• Rice—This recipe calls for long-grain white rice. However, any type of rice or grain can be substituted, but you may need to adjust the liquid and cooking time slightly.
• Sauce—Use a jar of pasta sauce or homemade marinara sauce and spice it up with some seasoning.
• Bell Peppers—Use any sweet bell pepper. Red, orange, or yellow peppers are sweeter, while green bell peppers have a slightly sharper flavor.
• Cheese—Cheese is optional but I love it on stuffed peppers! Use shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese.

Variations

These classic stuffed peppers can be changed by swapping the seasonings and sauces!

• Replace Italian seasoning with taco seasoning and add a can of drained black beans. Garnish with cilantro.
• If you like a little heat, stir in some red pepper flakes.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers

1. Brown Meat: Brown meat, onion, and garlic (recipe below).
2. Cook Rice: Add tomato sauce, rice, water, and seasonings. Cook until rice is tender.
3. Prepare Peppers: While the filling is cooking, prepare the peppers by simmering or air frying for a few minutes to soften (otherwise, they won’t soften enough).
4. Fill & Bake: Fill peppers with meat and rice mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until bubbly!

I usually cut my peppers across the top but you can also cut them top to bottom to make smaller portions.

Make It a Freezer Meal

You can freeze stuffed pepper for future meals!

To freeze, prepare as directed below and freeze in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight and bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.

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Stuffed Peppers

These easy stuffed peppers are filled with sausage, beef, & rice for a delicous flavor packed meal.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.

• Cut off the tops of the bell peppers, reserving them for the sauce. Remove and discard the seeds and membranes inside the peppers. Finely chop the tops and set aside for the sauce.

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the peppers for 5 minutes. Remove and drain well if simmering. Alternatively, air fry the peppers at 400°F for 5 minutes.

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lean ground beef, Italian sausage, diced onion, and minced garlic. Brown, breaking up with a spoon, until no pink remains. Drain any fat.

• Add diced tomatoes with juice, rice, water, diced pepper tops, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper.

• Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender, adding more water if needed. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ cup marinara sauce.

• Place 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Add the peppers cut-side-up, and divide the rice mixture evenly over the peppers. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over top.

• Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

• Remove the foil and spoon the sauce from the bottom of the dish over the peppers. Top with cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and peppers are tender.

If you want firmer/tender-crisp peppers, skip the boiling step and bake as directed. Peppers can be pre-cooked by simmering, air frying, or baked for 15 minutes at 400°F.
Additional vegetables, such as diced zucchini or chopped mushrooms, can be added to the filling.
Stuffed peppers can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven until heated through. 

Calories: 385 | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 922mg | Potassium: 933mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4255IU | Vitamin C: 166.8mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 3.7mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

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