Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe

One of my favorite dinner recipes to make towards the end of summer is this Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe. This dish holds all the flavor of classic stuffed peppers but it is made with very little effort.

Filling whole bell peppers to make the classic comfort meal of stuffed bell peppers takes a lot of time. First, you have to hollow out and clean each individual pepper.

Then there is the step of blanching the peppers so that they come out nice and soft when baked. Then after they come out of the boiling water, you have to make sure that they sit nice and flat in the baking dish.

Then once the peppers are prepared, you must make the ground beef and rice filling mixture. Next, after the filling is made, it is time to divide and scoop the mixture into each individual pepper. (Are you tired yet?).

Finally, top everything off with a little tomato sauce and the peppers can finally go into the oven. Half way through the baking time, add some shredded Mozzarella cheese and then the peppers still have to continue baking for another 20 minutes.

Although they turn out delicious, it takes a lot of work to get the dish ready. Therefore, I don’t mind making stuffed peppers on the weekend, but when it comes to weeknight meals, I will opt for this easier casserole recipe.

What is Stuffed Pepper Casserole?

Think about when you eat a stuffed pepper. If you eat more than just the filling, you most likely will use a fork and knife to cut the pepper into small bite size pieces.

Therefore, the filling inside spills out onto your plate along with the cut peppers. This is basically what the casserole will look like.

All the ingredients of stuffed peppers, but instead of being held inside the center of bell peppers, it is made into a casserole. The peppers are then diced and added to the mixture as well.

It is an easy to way to get all the flavors of the iconic dish, without spending a ton of time preparing it. After all, isn’t it the flavor that we all want anyway?

Other Names For This Casserole Dish

However, not everyone calls this dish Stuffed Pepper Casserole. This recipe goes by several different names, although the recipes are nearly identical.

Some people will call it Unstuffed Pepper Casserole. Others call it deconstructed bell pepper casserole.

And you will even find it called ground beef and pepper casserole. However, regardless of what it is called, each recipe will hold the flavor of seasoned ground beef mixed with diced bell peppers, onions, rice and tomatoes.

Not only can you make this recipe in the oven, you can also make it in a pressure cooker. If you love to use your Instant Pot, be sure to check out my Instant Pot Unstuffed Pepper Casserole recipe.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 large bell peppers, any color
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups chicken or beef stock
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 15 ounces diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
• salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making stuffed pepper casserole is to preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Then spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Use a Large Skillet or Dutch Oven

Next find the largest, deep sided skillet that you have. If you don’t have a large skillet, then use a Dutch oven instead of the skillet and then you won’t even need a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

In the skillet or Dutch oven, add the ground beef and place the burner on medium-high heat. As the meat cooks, be sure to break it up with a wooden spatula.

When the meat is half way brown, add the diced peppers and onions. Once the ground beef is no longer pink, drain the meat mixture and return it back to the skillet or Dutch oven.

Next, add the minced garlic to the pan and saute for 1 minute or just until fragrant. You don’t want the garlic to brown as it will turn bitter tasting.

Then add the chicken or beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, salt & pepper to taste. Carefully stir the mixture to combine.

Now add diced tomatoes, the uncooked, white, long grain rice and 1 1/2 cups of the Mozzarella cheese to the pan. Stir until the mixture looks even.

Pour the stuffed pepper mixture into the casserole dish or spread it out evenly in the Dutch oven. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Mozzarella cheese.

If you would like you can add more shredded cheese to the top to cover the casserole completely. However, as much as I like cheese, I find it best to have a light coating of cheese on top.

Cover The Dish

Before you place the dish in the oven, cover it with aluminum foil or place the Dutch oven lid on top. If you are using foil, be sure to tent it up a little in the middle so that the underneath surface doesn’t touch the cheese.

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly around the edges and the cheese has melted.

Optional Step: After the bake time is up, remove the foil and place the baking dish under a broiler for 3-5 minutes. This will allow the top of the casserole to become light golden brown in color.

However, be sure to keep a close eye on the stuffed pepper casserole when it is under the broiler. It can turn brown very quickly.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving to allow it to thicken.

Enjoy! Mary

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