Stuffed Pepper Casserole
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An Easy Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe that is healthy and delicious! This is a simple dinner that is made in one pan in under an hour!
If you need a quick, healthy dinner that’s made in one pot – look no further than this Stuffed Pepper Casserole!
Unlike other casseroles made with canned soups and are super high in fat, this casserole is loaded with protein, vegetables and healthy carbs. Plus- it’s made in one pot so it makes for an easy clean up!
There are only 10 ingredients (most pantry staples) and some spices needed for this delicious gluten-free casserole that can be on your table in less than an hour!
We love stuffed bell peppers and wanted to take those delicious flavors and put them in a casserole. You are going to love it!
If you like stuffed peppers as much as we do, you need to try our Deconstructed Pepper Skillet or Taco Stuffed Peppers.
liz’s tips for stuffed pepper casserole
- Use freshly shredded cheese! The preshredded cheese has anti-caking agents on the cheese that prevent it from melting properly.
- Bake, then individually portion the leftovers for easy meal prep!
Ingredients
This is our favorite dutch oven, pictured below!
Substitutions
What are the best peppers for this recipe? Bell peppers are the best peppers for this recipe. Any color will work. Red, orange and yellow are all sweeter, but green bell peppers have a more mild flavor.
Ground Beef: You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken, it will not be as flavorful, but it will work.
Tomato Sauce/Petite Diced Tomatoes: We wouldn’t recommend omitting tomato sauce or petite diced tomatoes. Both are necessary for the recipe. Regular diced tomatoes will work, we just prefer the smaller ones.
Minute Rice: If you don’t have minute rice, you can use brown rice. Use 2 cups cooked brown rice and reduce the amount of beef broth to only a 1/2 cup. We have not tried regular cooked or raw white rice and wouldn’t recommend it. We do not recommend swapping the rice with cauliflower rice. If you need a grain free recipe try our Whole30 Stuffed Peppers.
Beef Broth: Broth, bone broth, and stock can all be used interchangeably in recipes. You can use chicken broth, beef broth, or vegetable broth in this recipe/interchangeably.
Mozzarella Cheese: Freshly grated mozzarella is best. Pre-shredded cheeses can have additives that prevent them from melting well.
Low Salt: If you need lower sodium, omit salt from the recipe. Use low or no salt beef broth and tomatoes.
Extra Vegetables: You can add more veggies to this dish. I think raw or frozen green beans would be a nice addition, diced carrots or mushrooms would be great as well!
Stuffed Peppers: If you’re looking for a regular stuffed pepper recipe, check out our Classic Stuffed Peppers, Unstuffed Peppers, or Stuffed Pepper Soup.
Dairy Free: To make this recipe dairy free, omit the cheese or use dairy free cheese.
How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Sauté garlic, onion, peppers, and beef in olive oil for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, rice, and beef broth. Stir to combine.
- Cover with an oven safe lid or aluminum foil and bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes remove the cover and add cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes.
- By this point all of the liquid should also be soaked up by the rice and you are ready to serve and enjoy!
Do you have to pre-cook the meat for the stuffed pepper casserole recipe? Yes, you need to pre-cook the meat for the stuffed pepper casserole. Ground meat should always be browned before being added to a recipe for food safety. In addition to killing any bacteria, browning meat adds a ton of flavor to a dish.
How Long Do You Bake Stuffed Pepper Casserole? Stuffed pepper casserole should be baked at 375 for 20-30 minutes.
How do you know when bell pepper casserole is done? You’ll know that stuffed pepper casserole is done when the rice is fully cooked and the broth has been absorbed.
How to serve
This stuffed pepper casserole is a complete meal in itself! You can serve more veggies on the side. Here are some of our favorite veggie side dishes:
How to store
Refrigerator: This stuffed pepper casserole will last in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: We don’t recommend putting stuffed pepper casserole in the freezer. We tried it and the rice and peppers got very soggy/mushy, so we wouldn’t recommend it.
Make Ahead: You can make this stuffed pepper casserole ahead of time. We would recommend completely cooking it, letting it cool, and then reheating it when ready to eat. We don’t recommend mixing together the ingredients ahead of time and letting them sit overnight before baking as the rice can absorb the broth and create an odd texture.
How to reheat Unstuffed Pepper Casserole
The best way to reheat stuffed pepper casserole is in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes. You can also sauté it in a pan on the stove until warmed through.
Other healthy casserole recipes:
Looking for other easy meals? Check out these 40+ Healthy Dinner Recipes or 30+ Ground Beef and Rice Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook. Here are some of our other healthy casserole recipes that we think you would love:
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion diced (1 small onion)
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced (4 cloves)
- 3 cups diced bell peppers 2-3 bell peppers-any color
- 1 lb lean ground beef 90-93%
- 8 oz canned tomato sauce
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 cups white minute rice uncooked
- 2 cups beef broth low or no salt
- ½ cup part skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
- In a 12 inch ovenproof skillet or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in garlic, onion, peppers and beef.
- Sauté for 10 minutes or until the beef is browned and the peppers and onions are softened.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, rice and beef broth. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet this is the time to transfer to a casserole dish, you can cover with a lid or foil.
- Cover and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the cover and add cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
- By this point all of the liquid should also be soaked up by the rice and you are ready to serve and enjoy!
This has become a family favorite!