An Easy Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe that is so yummy! A healthy dinner that is made in one pan in under an hour! Gluten free & delicious.
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We have fallen in love with casserole recipes. They are so simple to make and when you make them without canned soups (filled with weird ingredients) and pack them with veggies and protein, they can be a really healthy dinner option!
We love stuffed bell peppers and wanted to take those delicious flavors and put them in a casserole. You are going to love it!
Also, if you like stuffed peppers as much as we do, you need to try our Whole30 Stuffed Peppers, Taco Stuffed Peppers, Unstuffed Peppers, or our Stuffed Pepper Soup.
Why we love this Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
There is so much to like about this stuffed pepper casserole recipe! Here’s why it is one of our favorites:
- One Pan – Everyone loves a one pan meal which means fewer dishes at the end of the meal!
- Simple Ingredients – Most of these ingredients are pantry staples and there are only 10 ingredients and some spices needed for this delicious casserole!
- Done In Under An Hour – This stuffed pepper casserole recipe is so quick and easy. You can have dinner on the table in less than an hour!
Love ground beef? Check out this list of 25+ Healthy Ground Beef Recipes!
Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe Ingredients
To make this stuffed pepper casserole you will need:
- olive oil
- onion, garlic
- diced bell peppers
- ground beef
- canned tomato sauce, petite diced tomatoes
- salt, pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley
- white minute rice
- beef broth
- mozzarella cheese
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded substitutions box.
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How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Saute garlic, onion, peppers, and beef in olive oil for 10 minutes.
- Then pour in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, rice, and beef broth. Stir to combine.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the cover and add cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes.
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.
Should I cook my bell peppers before stuffing or baking? No, you don’t need to cook bell peppers before stuffing or baking. They will cook when they’re stuffed/in the oven!
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.
Substitutions for Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
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.
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 or diced carrots.
Stuffed Peppers: If you’re looking for a regular stuffed pepper recipe, check out our Stuffed Peppers, Unstuffed Peppers, or Stuffed Pepper Soup.
Dairy Free: To make this recipe dairy free, omit the cheese or use dairy free cheese.
What Sides to Eat with Stuffed Peppers Casserole?
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:
- Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Grilled Vegetables
- Honey Thyme Garlic Carrots
- Green Beans Almondine
- Lemon Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
How to store stuffed pepper casserole
Refrigerator: This stuffed pepper casserole will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this stuffed pepper casserole. 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 do you reheat stuffed pepper casserole recipe?
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. 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 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.
- In a 12 inch ovenproof skillet or dutch oven, heat olive oil. 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, 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.
- 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 the liquid should also be soaked in by the rice.
Janice says
Do I have to add the rice??
The Clean Eating Couple says
I wouldn’t recommend making this without rice.. it won’t be a casserole. if you wanted to just cook it on the stove you can but it will be pretty skimpy portions. Try our or if you don’t want rice.
Nadine Gilder says
Can I use regular rice instead of Minute Rice?
The Clean Eating Couple says
ll of our blog posts have a green box that says substitutions where we cover every ingredient. You can hit control f or command f and type in ‘subs’ to jump to it on any computer. Here’s what it says in the post: Minute Rice: If you don’t have minute rice, you can use brown rice. Use 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.
Dana Malangone says
Made this last night it was super easy and it was a big hit. Tweaked it a bit using your substitution choices. Made can be made so many ways.. Definitely on the weekly menu!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you enjoyed it, Dana!
Sarah says
This was so easy to make and gives you that same warm feeling as just regular stuffed peppers! I liked it more than regular stuffed peppers… I will be making this again!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Sarah! Thanks!
Katie says
A great healthy meal that is super easy to make!
Callie Z says
So good and flavorful!! We love stuffed peppers, so I was excited to give this a try. So easy to make!
Alison Witt says
Made this for dinner the other night for something different. I love stuffed peppers, but they can be a hassle to make. This was so easy to make and very filling! This also made lunch meal prep a breeze.
sage says
in the subs it says to use cooked brown rice instead of minute rice, but how much cooked brown rice would i need? 4 cups? it isn’t really clear :’D
The Clean Eating Couple says
Per the substitutions – Use 2 cups cooked brown rice and reduce the amount of beef broth to only a 1/2 cup.
Kendra Dee says
Great flavor! Will be making it again and will, likely, try other ingredients, such as chorizo and black beans. Thank you for the recipe!
Amy P says
Made this recipe last night and loved how easy it was to make, it came together quickly with dinner ready in under an hour and the dinner was so flavorful, filling and just plain delicious! I can’t wait to try another recipe from The Clean Eating Couple!
Lynne says
Can I use regular rice , and if do his fo u think I should adjust?
The Clean Eating Couple says
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. I haven’t tried white rice but that might work too
Amy says
I used regular rice! I pre-cooked regular jasmine rice in a rice cooker, then layered everything MINUS the broth (don’t need the extra liquid because it won’t be absorbed while the rice is cooking). Bake for 20 mins instead of 40. Perfect!
Linda G says
Tried this recipe. It is absolutely delicious 😋
Thank you for sharing this with us!
Joe says
Really tasty and much easier and faster than stuffing the peppers. I’m dairy free, so we added the cheese after it was served for those that wanted it. This recipe will definitely be made again!
Tara says
Made this with cauliflower rice by omitting the broth and pre-steaming the rice! Family hit!
Kimberly D says
This makes a lot of food, which is good because this casserole is delicious!
Taylor says
Yum!!!! This was fabulous. I made two tiny tweaks. 1- I saved my garlic until after the meat was almost entirely brown because I always find it burns otherwise. 2- We are trying to eliminate red meat so I used ground turkey and it was still very flavorful and delicious. So good- the rice really makes it for me! Thanks for another win.
Sue Johnson says
Do you cook the rice first?
The Clean Eating Couple says
No, it’s made with white minute rice, uncooked
Shelley says
What size casserole dish?
The Clean Eating Couple says
It says it in the instructions: 12 inch ovenproof skillet or dutch oven
Krista says
I wasn’t expecting this to be as delicious as it was! My whole family loved this including a picky eater. The aroma of this baking is fabulous. Can’t wait for the leftovers.
Helen says
I will make this again! Love it!
Marsha says
Great recipe! My husband is a picky eater and never goes back for seconds. He had two helpings of this recipe. This one will definitely go into my dinner rotation. Plus it was made in one pot, so super easy cleanup!
Patti says
Yummy recipe! I’ve made this at least 4 times already and my 11 month old loves it too. I don’t have minute rice in my pantry so I used slightly undercooked white rice to the dish to cook all the way when combined with the rest of the ingredients. It soaks up the moisture and turns out great 😁
Linda Marino says
Made this recipe for the first time last
week! Absolutely delicious and so simple! I added some carrots and celery to it as well and it stretched the recipe enough for me
to share some with a friend got a text
that evening saying they loved it and ate the whole pan!
Jenny says
Can I freeze this then thaw and cook?
The Clean Eating Couple says
No, I wouldn’t do that. Cook it and then freeze and reheat.
Carmen Edwards says
I bought a bag of mini bell peppers for our NYE gathering and had a bunch left over. I sliced them thin and added all the green bell pepper I had on had hand. The casserole was colorful and tasty. Next time I make it, I plan to use Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies instead of plain diced tomatoes and top with cheddar cheese or a cheddar cheese blend. I eat gluten free meals and this is both healthy and delicious. I used Minute Brown Rice for extra fiber, too.
Lee Kimbrel says
I made this last night. When I pulled it out of the oven I wished I had invited a few friends over to eat! It was beautiful! And it was delicious too.
I love meal prep and I found this recipe to be a lot of fun. I will make it again!
Toni Campana says
This was delicious! We made it with ground Turkey instead of beef. Also switched out the mozzarella cheese for cheddar. And I think when I make it again I’d use Brown Minute rice. Hubby actually thought it needed a little salt, and he never salts his food. So I may try increasing the salt to 1tsp from 1/2.
Ally says
Made this last night for dinner and it was amazing! Not only did everybody love it, but it made a ton and reheats beautifully. Seriously, it’s so good! Will definitely keep this in the meal rotation.
TheReluctantCook says
This is a really versatile recipe. I planned on making it as written but then my oven broke, so punted to making it in the pressure cooker sort of like a pressure cooker risotto (used uncooked Chinese white rice), and that turned out really well. So thanks y’all for a recipe that works in the oven and on the stovetop. Will definitely make again and the friends I cooked for wanted the recipe too.
Amy says
I made this last night with some substitutions and it came out great!
For anyone else looking for subs:
– I used impossible ground beef instead of regular beef to make this vegetarian
– I also didn’t have anything in the house except regular jasmine rice. I cooked it in the rice cooker first, then layered everything MINUS the broth, and put this in the oven for 20 mins instead of 40. Came out perfect!
So good!
gws says
Hi Maybe in the USA you use the term “stuffed” in a different way to folk in the UK. To us, stuffed means “to put inside” as in stuffing a whole chicken, so I do understand why you call this stuffed – not a criticism – just “seeking enlightenment.
I love your site.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Stuffed peppers are a common American dish where you fill peppers with rice, ground beef and sauce. So we use the word stuffed the same 🙂 So this is a casserole version of that. hope that makes sense 🙂
Michelle riley says
Great even without onions. My sister cannot tolerate onions since she was sick a year ago and I was pleasantly surprised I did not miss them.
Julie woods says
Made this for a club meeting of bikers qnd it was a big hit but I had to double it and use grand sausage I will be making it again for my kids and grandkids thanks for the repecie
Miranda says
New staple meal!