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Hearty stuffed bell peppers loaded with seasoned ground beef, fluffy brown rice, homemade tomato sauce, and melted cheddar cheese. A family-friendly, customizable meal ready in about 40 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Tablespoons Extra-virgin Olive Oil or avocado oil
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • 2–3 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
  • 1½ Cups Cooked Brown Rice
  • 14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes (canned)
  • 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
  • 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 2 Teaspoons Paprika
  • Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • 7 Large Bell Peppers, tops and cores removed
  • 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
  • Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Slice the tops off the bell peppers, remove seeds and membranes, and stand peppers upright in a baking dish.
  3. Optionally pre-bake the peppers alone for 10–15 minutes if softer peppers are preferred; otherwise skip this step.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  5. Sauté diced onion until translucent and soft.
  6. Add minced garlic cloves and cook for about 1 minute.
  7. Add lean ground beef and brown, breaking it up, about 5–6 minutes.
  8. Stir in cooked brown rice, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, and paprika.
  9. Simmer the filling for 4–5 minutes until thickened and flavors blend.
  10. Taste and season the filling with kosher salt and pepper as needed.
  11. Fill each pepper with the beef and rice mixture; optionally stir diced pepper tops into filling before stuffing.
  12. If desired, cover the baking dish tightly with foil for the first 20 minutes to steam the peppers.
  13. Bake the stuffed peppers at 375°F until peppers are tender — 10–12 minutes if pre-baked, or 20–25 minutes if unbaked.
  14. Remove foil if used, sprinkle shredded cheddar jack cheese over peppers.
  15. Bake 5–7 minutes more until cheese melts and becomes bubbly.
  16. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.

Notes

For softer peppers, pre-bake them solo for 10–15 minutes before stuffing; skip for firmer texture., Always use cooked rice or substitute such as quinoa or cauliflower rice (good low-carb alternative)., Diced pepper tops can be added to the filling for extra flavor and color., Add cheese at the end to avoid soggy filling and overbrowning., Taste and adjust seasoning before stuffing peppers to ensure balanced flavor., Ground meat should be fully cooked before stuffing for flavor and safety., Stuffed peppers can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 4-5 days or frozen for up to 3 months., Reheat leftovers in oven or microwave until hot throughout., To make vegetarian, substitute ground beef with veggie crumble or mushrooms and additional vegetables., Cheese variations can include mozzarella, Monterey jack, Colby jack, or pepper jack as alternatives.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/easy-stuffed-bell-peppers/