Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole (Easy Stove Top Recipe)

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Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole is cheesy, saucy, and delicious! It’s an easy weeknight dinner recipe, giving you all the tasty flavor of stuffed peppers in a simple casserole. I’ll show you how to make this delicious casserole in under 30 minutes.

a serving of stuffed bell pepper casserole in a bowl on a table.

Why You’ll Love This Unstuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe

One-Pot Meal. This is an easy dinner that is made on the stovetop in one pot.

Quick and Easy Recipe. This delicious meal is ready in just under 30 minutes.

Comforting Classic Flavors. Enjoy all the delicious flavors of a traditional stuffed bell peppers recipe in a unique unstuffed peppers casserole. You will love this recipe if you are looking for a comfort food with loads of flavor.

This delicious stuffed pepper casserole, or rather, unstuffed pepper casserole, has lean ground beef, flavorful seasoning, chopped peppers, rice, and melty cheese!

Read on to make this easy casserole for dinner tonight!

ingredients for stuffed bell pepper casserole on a table.

Ingredient Notes

  • Ground beef | Find the most lean ground beef at your local grocery store.
  • Onion | Add diced yellow onion for flavor.
  • Garlic | Minced garlic cloves bring subtle spice and a delicious taste.
  • Seasoning | Season the beef and peppers with Italian seasoning, oregano, cumin, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  • Spinach | Add spinach for texture and a classic stuffed pepper ingredient.
  • Peppers | For the delicious pepper element, add two red bell peppers, two yellow bell peppers, and one green pepper, all sliced and ready to go!
  • Broth | Keep the recipe on the healthier side with low-sodium beef broth.
  • Tomatoes | Add rich tomato flavor with a can of petite diced tomatoes with the juice.
  • Rice | Bulk up the casserole with cooked white rice.
  • Cheese | Add melty shredded pepper jack cheese or another favorite.
  • Cilantro | Garnish with chopped cilantro.

How to Make Easy Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe

Enjoy this simple way of making your favorite meal in the form of a stuffed bell pepper casserole recipe!

STEP 1 | Get started with recipe prep

Begin by washing and chopping all of the recipe ingredients. Then, add the ground beef, onion, and garlic cloves to a large pot over medium heat.

sliced and chopped veggies on a cutting board; browned ground beef in a large skillet for bell pepper casserole.

STEP 2 | Cook the ground beef

Next, cook the ingredients for about 7 minutes until the meat is cooked through, draining the excess fat and grease from the pot.

STEP 3 | Add the seasonings

Now, add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper, and cook for 3 minutes while constantly stirring. 

STEP 4 | Cook with peppers, broth, and tomatoes 

Then, mix in the spinach, red, yellow, and green bell peppers, beef broth, and tomatoes, turn the burner to medium-low, and simmer the ingredients for 8-10 minutes or until the peppers are softer, stirring occasionally.

adding ingredients to browned ground beef for stuffed bell pepper casserole — peppers, onions, rice and cheese.

STEP 5 | Add remaining ingredients and taste

Add the cooked rice and cheese to the pot, mixing until combined. Then, taste to see if more salt is needed.

STEP 6 | Garnish and serve!

Finally, remove the pot from the stovetop, sprinkle with more cheese and cilantro, and enjoy!

Tips from the Home Chef’s Kitchen

If preferred, use a large skillet with high edges or a Dutch oven.

To keep this recipe on the healthier side, eliminate the extra salt if you can’t find low-sodium ingredients.

For more easy casserole recipes try my Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole, Creamy Spinach Spaghetti Squash Casserole, and Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Enchilada Skillet Casserole– Yum!

Stuffed bell pepper casserole in a dutch oven garnished with cilantro with a wooden serving spoon.

Variations and Substitutions

  • Spicy Stuffed Pepper Casserole. Add red pepper flakes, chili powder, or your favorite hot sauce to kick up the heat in this recipe.
  • More Tomato Flavor. Include tomato paste for a more robust tomato flavor.
  • If preferred, replace the cilantro with fresh parsley.
  • Instead of ground beef, feel free to use ground turkey or ground chicken.
  • Use your preference of white or brown rice for this easy recipe.
  • If you’re not a fan of either green, yellow, or red bell pepper, use whichever variety is your favorite. 
  • Instead of petite diced tomatoes, use regular diced tomatoes or a can of fire-roasted tomatoes.
  • Monterey jack shredded cheese also works for this yummy casserole.
close up image of Stuffed bell pepper casserole in a dutch oven garnished with cilantro with a wooden serving spoon.

Storage and Reheating Tips

  • Store the leftover casserole in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
  • I don’t suggest freezing rice dishes because the consistency of the rice, when thawed out, is a bit too soft. If you left the rice out, you could freeze the dish and add the rice before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to soften bell peppers on the stove?

After about 7 minutes of cooking, slice peppers in a hot pan or pot, they should be soft and ready to eat unless you prefer them extra soft or overcooked.

What can I do with lots of bell peppers?

Peppers are versatile, giving you many options when figuring out what to do with an excess. You can always stash some away in the fridge or freezer to make dishes later, like potato and pepper soup, Red Pepper and Bacon Bruschetta, Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade, or Pepper Steak Stir-Fry.

Which is healthiest — red, green, yellow, or orange bell peppers?

The red bell pepper contains more antioxidants because it has been ripened for longer. All are tasty, but the further from green, the more nutritional value.

a serving of stuffed bell pepper casserole in a bowl on a table.

Serving Suggestions

This casserole recipe is a full meal on its own. However, you can add more vegetables by serving the dish with this Wedge Salad with Crispy Fried Shallots or my delicious Broccoli Bacon Salad.

Looking for more Stuffed Pepper Recipes?

Stuffed peppers are versatile dinner recipes, appetizers, and game-day foods that are always a hit! Check out more of my traditional stuffed pepper recipes, like these Keto Stuffed Peppers, easy Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers, and Saucy Turkey Stuffed Peppers.

a bite of bell pepper casserole on a fork.

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a serving of stuffed bell pepper casserole in a bowl on a table.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole

Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole is cheesy, saucy, and delicious! It’s an easy weeknight dinner recipe, giving you all the tasty flavor of stuffed peppers in a simple casserole.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 291 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • ½ cup diced yellow onion
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 5-6 ounces spinach
  • 2 medium red bell peppers sliced
  • 2 medium yellow bell peppers sliced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper sliced
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 15-oz. can petite-diced tomatoes with juice
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese shredded
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium heat add the ground beef, onion, and garlic cloves.
  • Cook for 7 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Drain any fat from the pot.
  • Add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt*, and black pepper.  Cook for 3 minutes. Mix continually.
  • Add the spinach, peppers, beef broth, and tomatoes. Mix until combined. Turn the burner to low to medium and allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the peppers are softer, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the cooked rice and ½ cup of cheese to the pot. Mix until combined. Taste to see if more salt is needed.
  • Remove the pot from the burner. Top with the remaining cheese and cilantro and enjoy.

Notes

  • To keep this recipe on the healthier side, eliminate the extra salt if you can’t find low-sodium ingredients.
  • If you do not love cilantro you can replace it with parsley.
  • You can use ground beef, chicken, or turkey.
  • For the rice, you can use white or brown rice.
  • Store the leftover casserole in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
    I don’t suggest freezing rice dishes because the consistency of the rice, when thawed out, is a bit too soft. If you left the rice out, you could freeze the dish and add the rice before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 25gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 649mgPotassium: 782mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 4002IUVitamin C: 148mgCalcium: 226mgIron: 4mg

Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Keyword 30-minute meal, bell peppers, easy dinner, ground beef, one pot
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