Stuffed Peppers

4.82 from 27 ratings

from kristineskitchenblog.com

These Stuffed Peppers are filled with rice, ground beef or turkey, tomato sauce and Italian seasonings. They're a healthy meal that's make ahead and freezer-friendly.

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Total Time1 5

Servings: servings

Calories: 381kcal

Author: Kristine Rosenblatt

Ingredients

¾ cups uncooked brown rice or white rice, 1 ½ cups cooked
6 bell peppers any color
2 teaspoons olive oil
¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
3 cloves garlic minced
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
8 ounce can tomato sauce ¾ cup
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese, 4 ounces, divided

Instructions

Cook rice according to package directions or your preferred cooking method. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F.
Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds and membranes.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, 2-3 minutes.
Add the ground beef (or ground turkey) to the pan and cook, crumbling, until browned and cooked through. Drain off any excess grease. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring for 5 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cooked rice and half of the cheese.
Pour ½ cup of water into a baking dish. Fill bell peppers with the meat and rice mixture and place in the baking dish. Sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheese.
Cover with a piece of aluminum foil that you have lightly sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Bake for 30 minutes, uncover, and bake 5 minutes more, until cheese is lightly browned and filling is hot. Serve.

Video

Notes

To Freeze:

Prepare the peppers as directed in the recipe. Do not bake.
Let peppers cool completely and then place them in a baking dish in the freezer. Freeze for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a zip-top plastic freezer bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months.
To bake, thaw completely in the refrigerator (this will take about 24 hours). Then, bake as directed above.

You can assemble the stuffed peppers and refrigerate them for up to one day before baking.
Once baked, stuffed peppers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave (I find that cutting the peppers in half helps the filling to heat through better) or in a covered dish in a 375° F oven, until steaming hot.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.