Description
Deliciously stuffed bell peppers filled with ground beef, rice, and veggies!
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 bell peppers (assorted colors, about the same size)
- 1 pound ground beef (20 percent fat)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
- ½ a yellow onion (small-diced)
- 1 medium zucchini (diced)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (with all its juices)
- 2 cups cooked long grain rice (or any kind of rice)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (plus more for garnish)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup HOT boiled water (for the baking pan)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Prep bell peppers: Slice off the top from the peppers, remove the seeds and membrane, and trim the inside as needed. Set aside.
- Cook ground beef: In a large deep skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it up until browned and cooked through. Drain or absorb any excess fat with paper towel.
- Add veggies and aromatics: Push the beef to one side of the skillet. Add more oil to the pan and sauté diced onions and zucchini for about 5 minutes. Bring everything back together. Then stir in minced garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Finish the filling: Stir in the canned diced tomatoes (with all its juices) and the cooked rice. Let it cook until warmed through, stirring occasionally. Add chopped fresh Italian parsley and about ½ cup of the shredded cheese until incorporated. Set aside.
- Assemble: Fill the peppers with the prepared filling. Arrange them on a baking dish, filling side up, making sure they fit snug to prevent tipping over. Optional – place the bell pepper caps back on.
- Bake: Add a layer of hot boiled water to the bottom of the baking pan, about a ¼ inch layer (or ~ ⅓ cup). Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the peppers are tender to your liking. Note: The hot water will create steam trapped inside and soften the peppers.
- Top with cheese and finish baking: Remove the foil. Move the pepper caps to the side (if using) and top each pepper generously with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until melted. Broil for 1 minute at the end until golden on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- For variation, add different vegetables to the filling.
- Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg