I’ve been meaning to make stuffed peppers for a while now, because they’re such an easy meal to prep in advance and full of healthy nutrients without sacrificing flavor! Bell peppers are such an underappreciated vegetable (except by my cat, who for some reason LOVES bell peppers), but they are crucial elements of this dish. You can add whatever fillings you like – I prefer protein, rice, and maybe some cheese on top. What’s your favorite color of bell pepper?
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 large bell peppers
- 1/2 lb ground beef, lean (or other protein of choice)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated pepper jack cheese (or monterey jack for a milder flavor)
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus more to drizzle
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the tops off the peppers evenly, and remove the core and seeds. Optionally, (but highly recommended!) you can finely dice the tops of the peppers, not including the stem, and add them to your prepared onions. Place the peppers in a high-walled baking dish; try to find one that fits the 6 peppers as tightly as possible without crushing them.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook the beef until cooked through and just starting to brown, while making sure to break up the pieces with your spatula. Beef should take 6-10 minutes depending on the heat of your burner. Once cooked, scoop the ground beef onto a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Make sure the skillet is free of any chunks of meat (they will burn otherwise!) and add 2 more tbsp of olive oil, returning the skillet to the heat. Add the onions and diced peppers and cook until the vegetables have started to soften, ~3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and zucchini and cook until fragrant, and no more than 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as desired. Stir constantly until the whole mix is evenly heated, no more. Add the ground beef and the cooked rice, and stir to combine. Lastly, stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese.
- Once the mix is fully combined, spoon the mix to fill the peppers. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the tops of the filled peppers. Pour ~1/3 cup water in the bottom of the baking dish, and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the peppers. Cover the dish with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese on top has melted and is just starting to brown. Optionally, you can finish them under the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes, just make sure you watch it closely so it doesn't burn!
- These keep and reheat quite well, so don't worry if you've got leftovers, enjoy!
