Classic Stuffed Peppers
What is it about the smell of classic stuffed peppers that gets you right in the feels? It’s the best of simple ingredients–fresh beef, onions, tomatoes, and seasonings that come together in their own little portable, edible bowls.
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- Use any rice you like. I prefer brown but I only had white on hand so I went with it. It does need to be cooked before you put it in the peppers.
- Ground turkey would also work well in place of the beef if you want a healthier stuffed pepper recipe. They are already fairly healthy, but you can lighten them further by changing the meat you use.
- Remember that if your peppers won’t stand up in the dish, just cut a little bit off the bottom. Try not to cut into the pepper though. You don’t want to lose your filling. I used three very large peppers in this recipe. If your peppers are smaller you can probably fill 5-6 easily.
- Swap the tomato sauce for pasta sauce and some fancy parmesan cheese for an Italian flare.
- If you’re in to Mexican flavors, use salsa and pepper jack cheese mixed in. So many options! I have a great post on how to use leftover taco meat any extra filling would work great in.
- To make ahead: Cook the filling, stuff the peppers and place them in a baking dish. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge till ready to bake, up to 2 days ahead.
- To freeze: Don’t freeze the peppers stuffed or they will go soggy on you when they thaw. The filling freezes great though!
- To reheat: You may need to cover them loosely with some foil for the first half of their bake time to keep them from drying out, then uncover them for the last half or until they are hot all the way through.
What to serve with stuffed peppers
This stuffed pepper recipe is basically a meal in one but try these sides to round out your meal:
Classic Stuffed Peppers
Classic stuffed peppers go the traditional route and deliver the familiar flavors you crave.
Ingredients
- 4 very large green bell peppers or about 5 small ones
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup cooked brown or white rice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Place the peppers in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes, just until the peppers are slightly soft. Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside on paper towels to drain.
- In a skillet, heat the ground beef and onion and cook until no pink remains. Drain.
- Add the salt, pepper, rice, garlic powder and half of the tomato sauce.
- Stir well and spoon into the peppers.
- Top with the other half of the tomato sauce.
- Bake in an ungreased dish at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 16gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 257mgPotassium: 745mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 670IUVitamin C: 106.4mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 3.3mg
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Can I use instant white rice? And what kind of onion? Yellow,Vidalia, Spanish, white, etc?
Yes you can use instant. The onion type really doesn’t matter. Whatever you like!
Is the rice cooked or raw?
In the recipe it says cooked.
made this last night and they were delicious
Could you use frozen rice? I have frozen rice of about a few weeks ago that I never got to using in a recipe. I like the idea of recycling so to speak and not having to cook every little part. IF necessary, I will cook fresh rice. I’m depending on people who cook a lot to lead me in the right direction.
Yes that’s fine Andrea!
yes frozen rice will work almost perfectly