Stuffed Pepper Casserole
All the flavors of the classic dish without the fussiness.
Serves6
Prep15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook38 minutes
This stuffed pepper casserole is easier and faster than classic stuffed peppers but brimming with all the wholesome goodness of the iconic dish. It’s akin to preparing a rice pilaf but bolstered with all sorts of hearty ingredients like bell peppers, beef, cheese, and seasonings to make it an entire meal.
The pot is baked for 20 minutes until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed then topped with gooey cheese and fresh parsley to finish. The final step: Scoop and serve!
Ingredients You Need for Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Bell peppers: Red and green bell peppers are used for a variety of color and flavor profiles.
- Rice, ground beef, and fire-roasted tomatoes: These serve as the traditional filling for stuffed peppers, and the fire-roasted tomatoes add a bit of kick.
- Seasonings: Oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper all add depth of flavor to this classic.
- Worcestershire sauce: A key ingredient that gives this dish that unknown deliciousness factor.
- Mozzarella and cheddar cheese: What’s a casserole without cheese? This cheese duo adds to the gooeyness we all love in a comfort food dish.
- Parsley: As a last step, the parsley gives brightness to the dish’s aesthetic as well as the flavor.
How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Stuffed pepper casserole is a weeknight hero for a reason — because it’s so simple to put together:
- You’ll cook the ground beef, onions, peppers, garlic, tomato paste, and spices in a Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot.
- Add the liquid and rice.
- Then, bake until the rice is tender.
- For perfectly cooked rice in just 20 minutes, it’s important to get the liquid in the pot up to a generous simmer before transferring to the oven and covering the pot. The oven will maintain the simmer rather than doing the work to getting it there.
- To finish, uncover the pot and top with cheese.
- Broil for the fastest cheese melt, but don’t step away too long — it melts fast.
- Once everything is bubbly and golden, remove, cool slightly, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe
All the flavors of the classic dish without the fussiness.
Prep time 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook time 38 minutes
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
medium yellow onion
- 1
medium green bell pepper
- 1
medium red bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
- 1 pound
lean ground beef
- 1 1/4 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided
- 5 cloves
garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons
tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon
dried oregano
- 1 1/2 cups
low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can
diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons
Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup
long grain white rice, preferably jasmine
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces
low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 ounces
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 large sprigs
fresh parsley
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare the following, adding each to the same medium bowl as it is completed: Dice 1 medium yellow onion (about 2 cups). Trim and dice 1 medium green bell pepper and 1 medium red bell pepper (about 1 3/4 cups each).
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a Dutch oven medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound lean ground beef, season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and drain off the fat in the pot if needed.
Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and onion mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mince 5 garlic cloves.
Add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and light golden-brown, about 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened in color, 1 to 2 minutes.
Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes and their juices, and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan if needed. Add 1 cup long grain white rice, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
Cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Bake until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, grate 2 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup) and 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup) on the large holes of a box grater. Pick the leaves from 4 large sprigs fresh parsley and finely chop until you have 2 tablespoons.
Remove the pot from the oven, uncover, and stir. Turn the oven to broil. Sprinkle the top evenly with the cheeses. Return the pot to the oven and broil uncovered until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before sprinkling with the parsley and serving.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.