Delicious and easy Stuffed Bell Peppers with ground beef, onions, garlic, rice, and Italian seasoning, all topped with a generous helping of melted Monterey Jack Cheese. With a few simple tips, these classic peppers are a cinch to make.
It is a hearty meal on its own, but sometimes I like to serve it with a garden salad, arugula salad, or oven-roasted asparagus.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Please see the complete list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Bell Peppers: Use any color of bell pepper that you like. I like to use a variety of colors for taste preference and presentation. Red, orange, yellow, and green make a festive-looking dish.
- Ground beef: with a bit of fat in it. Fat is what gives it flavor.
- Diced tomatoes: any canned diced tomatoes work well, including fire-roasted tomatoes and tomatoes with diced green chiles.
- Rice: long-grain white rice like basmati or jasmine.
- Cheese: Monterey Jack, cheddar cheese, or Pepper Jack
How to Make Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
First, cut the peppers in half from top to bottom, not side to side. Roast the peppers for about 10-15 minutes cut side up. Flip them and roast them for another 10 minutes cut side down.
Remove the roasted peppers from the oven and leave them on the baking sheet to drain any excess moisture. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package directions.
Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions when the ground beef is about halfway through the browning process. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are soft.
Reduce the heat to low. Drain off any excess grease. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Increase the heat to medium and add the diced tomatoes, cooked rice, beef broth, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Stir the mixture together and let it simmer for several minutes.
Spoon the beef mixture into the peppers, heaping them up slightly. Sprinkle with plenty of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese. Place the peppers on a baking sheet or baking dish and into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Top with chopped fresh basil or fresh parsley.
Preparation Tips
- Choose blemish-free bell peppers with no soft spots or mold around the stem.
- I like to cut my peppers from top to bottom instead of slicing off the top. This reduces waste and mess. The peppers are also easier to stuff, hold more stuffing, and sit better on the baking sheet and plate.
- For optimal taste, precook the peppers so you don’t end up with crunchy peppers. Stuffed peppers are always better when the peppers are roasted tender.
- Minute rice and boil-in-bag rice are really handy for this recipe. Leftover take-out rice works really well, too!
- The stuffing can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge. If it is too dry, reheat the stuffing at reduced power in the microwave, adding a little beef broth.
How to Keep Stuffed Peppers Standing Up
If you cut the bell peppers from top to bottom, you shouldn’t have any trouble with the peppers laying flat. However, this recipe also works great with traditional peppers with the top cut-off.
If the peppers do not stand straight, slice enough off the bottom to create a flat surface. But don’t cut too far into the pepper, as you don’t want the stuffing to come out.
How to Prepare Them Ahead of Time
You can do several things to make these peppers easier and quicker to prepare. The stuffing can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Briefly reheat it in the microwave at reduced power to remove the chill.
Another option is to prep the peppers a day in advance but not bake them. Instead, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Remove them from the fridge 40 minutes before baking to bring them to room temperature.
Remove them from the airtight container and place them on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake as directed.
Serving Suggestions
- Salad: Italian chopped salad, Olive garden copycat salad or rocket salad
- Vegetable side dishes: roasted corn, sauteed spinach, or grilled zucchini
- Soup: tomato bisque, corn chowder, or gazpacho
Store and Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
To freeze, cool completely. Then, place the peppers in an airtight freezer-safe container, stuffing side up. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave at reduced power so you don’t overcook the peppers.
More Bell Pepper Recipes
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers cut from top to bottom ribs and seeds removed
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1 ½ cups cooked long-grain white rice
- ½ cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black
- 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange bell peppers on the baking sheet cut side up. Place in the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes. Turn the peppers over and roast for another 10 minutes.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the ground beef is about halfway through the browning process add the onions. Cook until the beef is browned and the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Add the diced tomatoes, cooked rice, beef broth, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning, Stir the mixture together and let it simmer for several minutes. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Spoon the beef mixture into the peppers heaping them up a little bit. Divide the Monterey Jack Cheese over the peppers. Place the peppers back into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with chopped fresh basil.
Notes
- Choose blemish-free bell peppers with no soft spots or mold around the stem.
- I like to cut my peppers from top to bottom instead of slicing off the top. This reduces waste and mess. The peppers are also easier to stuff, hold more stuffing, and sit better on the baking sheet and plate.
- For optimal taste, precook the peppers so you don’t end up with crunchy peppers. Stuffed peppers are always better when the peppers are roasted tender.
- Minute rice and boil-in-bag rice are really handy for this recipe. Leftover take-out rice works really well, too!
- The stuffing can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge. If it is too dry, reheat the stuffing at reduced power in the microwave, adding a little beef broth.
Nutrition
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Jupiter Hadley
I love stuffed foods and stuffed bell peppers are a classic. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Jupiter!
Sue-Tanya Mchorgh
Love the flexibility in this recipe! The colorful bell peppers make it so vibrant and tasty.
Loretta A
These stuffed bell peppers were delicious! I never thought to cut the bell peppers like that but it works out better. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Loretta!