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For those nights you crave comfort but want to keep it easy, make this Stuffed Pepper Casserole. With saucy rice, flavorful beef, and fresh bell peppers, this cozy, recipe delivers the classic flavors of stuffed peppers without the hassle and only one pan to wash!
Looking for more one-pot dinner recipes? Don't miss Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls, Skillet Lasagna, and Taco Soup.
Kristen's Keys for Stuffed Pepper Casserole
This stuffed pepper casserole is easy, versatile, and forgiving. That said, here are a few things to keep in mind before beginning.
- Use a deep, heavy-bottomed pan. To ensure even cooking and enough room for the rice to bubble and expand.
- Use any lean ground meat your like. Ground beef may be classic but this recipe works with ground turkey or chicken. Use what you like.
- Choose brown rice for whole grains or white rice for quicker cooking. Both cooking times are provided.
- Cheese is optional but helps to convince picky eaters to go in for another scoop. If you are dairy-free or want to save few calories, simply omit it.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
No peppers are stuffed and this is not your classic baked casserole. Instead we are going to use one pan to make an unstuffed pepper casserole right on the stove. Let's break it down so you can enjoy perfect results.
- Brown the Meat. Sauté the ground meat with a diced onion until the meat is fully cooked. If needed, drain off any excess grease.
- Toast Seasonings. Add garlic, oregano, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the meat mixture and cook for 30-60 seconds, until the seasonings are fragrant. This simple step helps to deepen the flavor of the garlic and dried seasonings.
- Deglaze Pan. Pour in the beef broth into the pan and and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Those browned bits on the bottom of the pan add rich flavor to the dish!
- Add Remaining ingredients. Add the diced bell peppers, tomatoes, rice, and Worcestershire sauce into the pan and stir well combine.
rinse Rice for Best results
Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse well before adding to the pan. This will remove the excess starch and keep the rice from becoming mushy or gummy.
- Simmer. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender. The amount of time needed will be dependent on if you used white or brown rice.
Only Stir Once
Only remove the lid once to stir near the end of cooking. Lifting it repeatedly causes moisture loss, uneven cooking, and can burn the rice.
- Add Cheese. Remove the pot from the heat, uncover, stir, and top with cheese. Cover and let the pan sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and rice to fully absorb the liquid.
Grate the Cheese yourself
For the smoothest melt, grate the cheese from a block rather than using bagged shredded cheese.
Serving Suggestions
This Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole is an all-in-one dinner recipe complete with protein, carbs, and veggies. That said, feel free to pair it with a side salad or fresh fruit. That adds more produce to your dinner plate and helps to stretch the meal to feed more mouths.
More Easy One-Pot Meals
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef, or ground turkey/chicken
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice, rinsed and drained, *see note for white rice
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat for 30-60 seconds. Add 1 pound lean ground beef and 1 small yellow onion (minced) and cook, breaking the meat into small bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Once fully browned, remove from the heat and drain off any excess grease if needed and then return the pan to the heat.
- To the pan, with the heat still on medium-high, add the 3 cloves garlic minced, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground pepper, and cook until the garlic and spices are toasted and fragrant. No more than 1 minute.
- Add 2 cups low-sodium beef stock and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add diced red and green bell peppers, 1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1 cup uncooked brown rice to the pan, stirring to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, undisturbed. After 30 minutes, remove the lid, stir quickly, recover and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and stir well. It will still have a bit of residual liquid and that is okay. It will absorb as the mixture sits.
- Top with ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese and ½ cup shredded mozzarella, cover and let sit for 10 minutes, until the cheese has fully melted and the rice is tender.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So very good my family loved this.
Wonderful! I love hearing this, Patricia and appreciate you sharing.
This was a delicious casserole and super easy! I prepared it in my pressure cooker (using only 1 cup of beef broth) for 22 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release. It's a terrific recipe for a quick meal without the mess of stuffing peppers! Thanks Kristen!
That is awesome! Thank you for sharing that this worked in your Instant Pot! And I appreciate you leaving a review.
I made this for my mom; I am a terrible cook but this was so nice and easy. She couldn’t believe I made it. Thank you for an easy recipe
Hi Joe! I am thrilled you were able to follow these directions and produce a recipe that you and your mom loved. And I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
Thanks for this recipe Kristen, my family doesn’t like stuffed peppers like I do and I was stuck with what to do with all these extra peppers I had. I ended up making a triple batch and putting them in casserole dishes, lots of cheese and baking them. I omitted the rice and cooked it on the side. (I know, extra pot to wash) but everyone loved this dish and I have extra in the freezer for a lazy day.
Hi Sami! I am thrilled you found a way for your family to enjoy peppers--unstuffed 😉