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Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe – All The Flavor Without All The Work

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 without all of the work.

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. After they come out of the boiling water, you have to make sure that they sit nice and flat in the baking dish.

stuffed pepper casserole
Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a great way to get all the flavor of stuffed peppers without all the work!

Then once the peppers are prepared, you must make the ground beef and rice filling mixture. After the filling is made it is time to divide and scoop it into each individual pepper.

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 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 prepared. I don’t mind making stuffed peppers on the weekend, but when it comes to weeknight meals, I will opt for the 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 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?

ground beef and green peppers and onions
Be sure that you use a large enough skillet (this one was barely large enough) to mix all the ingredients together.

Other Names For This Casserole Dish

However, not everyone calls it Stuffed Pepper Casserole. This dish has several different names, although the recipes are near 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 need the 9 x 13 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.

rice and tomatoes in skillet
Stir in the uncooked rice and diced tomatoes to the pan until evenly distributed.

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 the uncooked, white, long grain rice and 1 1/2 cups of the Mozzarella cheese to the pan. Stir until the cheese and rice are scattered evenly throughout.

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.

uncooked stuffed pepper casserole
After everything is mixed together pour the ingredients in a baking dish and sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top.

Cover The Dish

Before you place the dish in the cover, cover it with aluminum foil or the Dutch oven lid. 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.

stuffed pepper casserole
Stuffed Pepper Casserole is not only easy to make, but it is a delicious meal that will keep you feeling full for hours.

Enjoy! Mary

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Stuffed Pepper Casserole

stuffed pepper casserole

All the flavor of classic stuffed peppers without all the work. Throw everything together in a baking dish and make it into an unstuffed pepper casserole.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 large bell peppers, any color
  • 1 onion peeled and 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

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, add the ground beef over medium-high heat. When the meat is half way brown, add the diced peppers and onions.
  3. Drain the meat mixture and return it back to the skillet. Add the minced garlic to the pan, saute for 1 minute.
  4. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, salt & pepper to taste. Mix to combine
  5. Add the rice and 1 1/2 cups of the Mozzarella cheese. Stir until well combined.
  6. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining Mozzarella cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, tenting it up a little in the middle so that it doesn't touch the cheese.
  7. 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.
  8. Optional Step: Remove the foil and place the baking dish under a broiler for 3-5 minutes.
  9. Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving to allow it to thicken.

Notes

Recipe provided by Make Your Meals

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 438Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 619mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 41g

Nutritional Information is to be used as a general guideline only . Nutritional calculations will vary from the types and brands of the products used.

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