Skip all the fussy prep work and make this Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole - a complete meal that's easy to make! Cheesy, beefy and stuffed with vegetables that don't have to be stuffed!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
I've always said something special happens to bell peppers when they are cooked! Whether it's in a soup or even a jam they become magical! This dish is no different! It's one of my favorite recipes!
This Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole Recipe is much easier to make and just as good, (maybe even better!) than stuffed peppers!
🗒️ Ingredients
For the exact measurements, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- ground beef - though you can certainly substitute ground chicken or ground turkey and ground pork as well.
- red yellow or green bell peppers, onion, garlic - there are loads of fresh vegetables in this meal.
- beef broth and canned diced tomatoes
- white rice - if using brown rice, this will increase the cooking time.
- shredded cheese - I used a medium cheddar cheese but you can certainly use, sharp, Monterrey jack or provolone - use your favorite cheese.
- Worcestershire sauce, grill seasoning and black pepper - the perfect balance of big flavors with minimal effort! If you'd prefer an Italian flavor, feel free to substitute Italian Seasoning, that would be delicious as well.
- smoked paprika - no smoked paprika? Substitute regular, but smoked paprika gives it a slightly smoky flavor - yum!
Easy Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 large bell peppers seeded and diced
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes I used fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 2 cups cheese
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons Montreal Grill Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray the 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
- Using a large, deep pan over medium heat. Brown ground meat.
- Dice the bell peppers and onions. Add to the meat as it cooks, along with the diced onions.
- Mince the garlic and add to the pan. Next add Worcestershire, salt, pepper, paprika and grill seasoning. Mix to combine.
- Add the remaining ingredients, reserving ½ cup shredded cheese - stir until well combined.
- Pour the entire mixture into the baking dish. Top with remaining cheese, cover with aluminum foil and bake until all the liquid is absorbed, the cheese melts and the casserole is hot and bubbly. About 45 minutes.
- If desired remove the foil set under the broiler to brown the cheese. This only takes 3-5 minutes.
- Allow the Stuffed Pepper Casserole to sit 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
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Nutrition
🔪 Instructions
- Preheat the oven.
- Using a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sauté.
- Dice the bell peppers and onions. Add to the meat along with the diced onions.
- Mince the garlic and add to the pan. Next add Worcestershire, pepper, paprika and grill seasoning. Mix to combine.
- Add the rest of the ingredients including uncooked rice, reserve ½ cup shredded cheese - stir until well combined.
- Pour the entire mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese, cover and bake.
- If desired remove the foil set under the broiler to brown the cheese.
- Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.
🙋♀️ FAQ's
I have several great bell pepper recipes on the blog, they are so versatile! If you have a stash in the fridge that need to be cooked up you have several options.
Pepper and Potato Soup is AMAZING, of course you can make pepper jam, but I also use bell peppers in kabobs. Roasting your own is much more affordable than store-bought and better too! I love that they are so versatile!
Yes! If you've got extra bell peppers, freezing is a great option. Just wash them, remove the stems, seeds, and membranes, then slice or dice. Spread the pieces out on a baking sheet in a single layer (so they don't stick together) and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to freezer bags or containers for easy grab-and-go storage.
Yes, wrinkled are ok to eat! If they have soft spots, they are spoiled and should be discarded.
The red bell pepper has more antioxidants than green because it is ripened longer. All are delicious!
Stuffed bell peppers are a classic comfort food-sweet red, yellow, or green peppers packed with a flavorful mix of ground beef (or Italian sausage!), rice, and seasonings, all topped with tomato sauce and melty cheese. This casserole version brings all those cozy flavors together in one easy-to-make dish-no pepper stuffing required!
Deb's top tip
Allow the casserole to sit or "rest" for 10 minutes before serving. It allows the flavors to come together and makes all the difference!
- Grab this free Stuffed Bell Pepper Cheat Sheet for additional tips, notes and freezer tips.
Serving suggestions
This is such a great recipe! It's pretty much a meal in one, but if you'd like to serve a salad a nice garden salad or Caesar salad would be perfect with this meal!
Related recipes
If you're looking for more easy casserole and dinner recipes, here are some of the most popular on the blog -
- Skillet Chicken and Potatoes - I love when chicken and potatoes are roasted together, yum!
- This family favorite Frito Pie Casserole is a great choice for your weeknight meal!
- And one of the biggest family favorites on the blog is Cowboy Tater Tot Casserole. SO GOOD and so easy to make!
Wrapping things up
This Bell Pepper Casserole is everything you love about stuffed peppers-just way easier! It's hearty, cheesy, and always a hit around the dinner table. If your family's anything like mine, there won't be leftovers!
If you give it a try, I'd love to hear what you think-leave a comment below or snap a photo and tag me on Facebook or Instagram. Happy cooking!
Phyllis says
Is there a modification for altitude? I made it at 9,00 ft and the rice wasn’t cooked in time? Would an additional 15-20 minutes suffice?
Debra Clark says
I live pretty much at sea level. So that is a great question and something I haven't considered previously. Yes, since it takes longer for water to boil, it makes sense that it will take longer to cook the rice. Seal it well and return it to the oven. Please let me know how it turns out for you.
Chlorissa Miller says
I have made this 3 times now and each time the rice is varying degrees of uncooked. I saw another comment this last time with the same issue and your reply of making sure the to foil is tight and a thicker foil. I put 2 layers of heavy duty tinfoil on and made sure they were both secure and the rice was the most uncooked it’s ever been. I’m at a loss of what to do, please help!
Debra Clark says
Chlorissa - that is so frustrating! What type of rice are you using? I'm wondering if it's the oven temperature. When is the last time you've checked the temperature of your oven? I wonder if it could be running cool? That is so strange. Let me know those couple of things please. You should not have the issues you are. I'm sorry.
Laurie C says
I made this with 3 large green peppers, long grain brown rice, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Three adults enjoyed it very much - Thanks! We'll add this to our monthly rotation!
Debra Clark says
That's wonderful, that's great to hear Laurie - I'm glad it was a hit. I appreciate hearing your variations. Sounds great!
menkens says
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe! Turned out very well with cooking longer for the rice I chose to use -- well received and will be making again with more seasoning besides Montreal which I omitted due to personal choice. I did add about another half pound of beef, again for personal preference with a combination of 93/7 (~3/4) and 80/20 (~1/4). Take care & enjoy!
Debra Clark says
You're so welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe and made it work best for you! I appreciate you coming back to share your comments. I hope you find more recipes to enjoy!
Crystal says
I cooked the rice in my instant pot while I cooked the beef and peppers etc on the stove. Added it all together in my casserole dish and poured a little of the broth into it (I didn't need all the broth since my rice was already cooked) Baked it for 15 minutes to melt the cheese on top. Instant family favorite and I am so happy I tripled this recipe!
Debra Clark says
I just love your substitutions and tweaks with the recipe, Crystal - isn't this just the yummiest casserole? I'm so glad you shared. Your changes made this a quick and easy meal. GREAT JOB!!!
Holly Parkison says
Rave reviews from everyone in our family, ages 11 to 80. What a wonderful, flavorful recipe. I used ground turkey, & swapped out the rice (because at high altitude, I worried it wouldn’t be cooked enough) for cornbread Stove Top Stuffing, just stirred it in straight from the box. Try it, you’ll be amazed! Thank you, Deb!
Debra Clark says
Oh my goodness Holly, what a GREAT idea! I'm definitely going to give that a try and don't be surprised if it doesn't end up on the blog. That sounds amazing and would really cut the cooking time down as well. Yep, going to make that soon. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Sokny says
This was delicious - moist and flavorful!
Made it vegetarian with impossible ground beef, veggie broth and also added 2 zucchini. Doubled the garlic and used pepper jack and sharp cheddar. This was easy to make, with ingredients I already had at home. A big hit with the family, adding this to the rotation. Thanks!
Debra Clark says
Oh goodness, what amazing substitutions Sokny! That sounds absolutely fantastic! Thanks for sharing, I know it will give others great ideas when they prepare dinner!!
Julie Ramsdell says
Wow!!! I never comment on recipes but this one deserves the accolades. I've tried a lot of different stuffed pepper casserole recipes and this is by far the best I've ever had. The only adjustments I made were to use beef bone broth instead of regular beef broth, and Italian style shredded cheese instead of cheddar. It was amazing, and very easy to make! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!!!
Debra Clark says
Woohoo! Thanks for the feedback Julie. What a glowing review. I appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a comment. Did you have any leftovers? This is EVEN better on day two! Thanks for your support of the blog!
Barb says
If you prepare earlier in the day do you cook it in the oven right away or can you wait until your ready for dinner?
Debra Clark says
Yes, because you've added water to the rice. It would be best if you baked it immediately and warmed it up afterwards.
Lynne says
Can this be assembled the day before and then baked? Looks delicious!
Debra Clark says
I'm not sure how assembling and sitting in the fridge would effect the rice. So if making ahead, wait to add the rice until you're ready to bake the casserole. Also because it's cold add another 15-20 minutes to the baking time. Enjoy Lynne!
Sara says
Made this tonight and the flavor is great but the rice wouldn’t cook! Put it back in for 15 mins and Inceased heat to 400 and still hard! So bummed. Otherwise it’s tastes super yummy
Debra Clark says
I'm so sorry you had an issue with rice Sara. Next time double-wrap the aluminum foil. Often times the foil doesn't seal well if it isn't heavy duty.
Halley says
This is a great recipe but I wish the instructions were more clear instead of saying add the rest of the ingredients after adding the seasoning instead specifically saying what those ingredients were as I completely forgot about the beef stock portion until half way cooking in the oven it was only until I looked at the ingredients just checking that I realized that I didn’t add to it
Bowl Me Over says
That's a good suggestion Halley, I appreciate you taking the time to leave a note. I'll update the recipe card, thank you!
Debra Dupree says
This is SO delicious! I ate on this all week. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Bowl Me Over says
The BEST casserole recipe! I'm so glad you enjoyed it Deb. Thanks for coming back to leave a note!
Maureen says
So delicious!! So happy I found this recipe.
Bowl Me Over says
It's this one the best? We love the Bell Pepper Casserole - leftovers are even better on day two!!
Sarah says
This sounds delicious!! I haven’t made it yet but I cannot use fresh garlic, how much garlic powder should I use instead?
Bowl Me Over says
Hey Sarah - substitute 3/8 of a teaspoon for 3 cloves garlic. Enjoy the Stuffed Pepper Casserole. It's so good!!
Scott E. says
Very good, I reduced Worcestershire sauce down from 3Tbl to 1Tbl the second time I made it.
Debbie says
Great and easy recipe!
I did switch out the rice with cauliflower rice to make it a low-carb winner.
So easy to freeze single servings for later in the week.
Thanks, Deb.
Bowl Me Over says
You're so welcome Debbie! I love the cauliflower rice swap, brilliant! Glad you enjoyed the casserole!
Matt says
Made it in a Dutch oven. Needed more water/broth and time. Taste was great, needed another 25 minutes and 3/4 cup moisture. Was undercooked with the original recipe. Great flavor profile!
Bowl Me Over says
Glad you enjoyed the flavor Matt - thanks for sharing your thoughts!!
Nicole says
Was a perfect way to use ingredients I regularly have on hand. Will try with green peppers next time since I only had red and yellow.
I added some fresh spinach that was getting to the end of its life and a dash of red pepper flakes.
Bowl Me Over says
Fresh spinach sounds great! Thanks for sharing Nicole! I appreciate your support of the website!!
Angie says
Great recipe. We also make a bigger batch and meal prep for our camping trips.
Bowl Me Over says
Wonderful! That Stuffed Pepper Recipe is so yummy!