Name: Classic Italian Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 6-8 large sweet bell peppers (such as Pure Flavor brand); 1 Tbsp. cooking oil; 6 oz. mushrooms, chopped; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1/2 pound ground beef; 1/2 pound ground sausage; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire roasted diced tomatoes; 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce; 1 cup cooked rice (white or brown); 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning; 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or cheese of your choice); Chopped parsley or chives to garnish (optional)

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Classic Italian Stuffed Peppers are a simple & cozy all-in-one dinner the whole family will love. Sweet, brightly colored bell peppers are stuffed with a hearty meat, veggie, & rice mixture and topped with melted cheese.

What Kind of Meal is Stuffed Peppers?

Until recently, I had never made stuffed peppers and didn’t realize how simple they are to make — or how satisfying! They are such a hearty and comforting dish and really easy to put together. Perfect for a fun weeknight family meal, or even a laid back dinner party.

This meal is heaven when you want something cozy for colder nights, plus the sweet peppers give off a hint of summertime if you’re dealing with winter doldrums.

Stuffed peppers are also impressive for dinner guests. They present beautifully in a bright pepper package, which is a whole meal in and of itself.

Large sweet peppers are hallowed out and stuffed with the yummiest mixture of meat, sauce, rice, veggies, and cheese. It’s got everything you need — protein, starch, vegetable, and healthy fat!

There are lots of flavor variations you can try for this recipe. But the classic version has Italian flavors – seasonings, tomato sauce, and mozzarella.

Should Peppers Be Cooked Before Stuffing?

Yes, you will need to cook the peppers for a little while before adding the stuffing. Otherwise, they will still be crunchy instead of tender.

While some recipes are a bit more involved with par-boiling the peppers, this method is super simple. We are using a casserole dish to pre-bake the peppers in a little water bath. Then we will use the same dish to finish baking the peppers after they are stuffed and topped with cheese.

One dish = less mess!

Using Ground Beef, Sausage, or Turkey

One great thing about this dish is that it’s so versatile. You can use any type of ground meat you fancy: beef, chicken, turkey, venison, or sausage!

Whatever type of ground meat is your favorite (or whatever fits your budget), go for it!

I like using a mix of beef and sausage, because it gives an authentic Italian vibe.

What Kind of Rice Should I Use?

You can use either white or brown rice for this recipe. Pre-cooked leftover rice is perfect, since it eliminates an extra step in the preparation process. I like cooking a huge batch of soaked brown rice and freezing it in portions to use throughout the month.

Soaked brown rice is a bit more nutritious than white, but many prefer the texture of white rice. It’s totally up to you.

Classic Stuffed Peppers Ingredients

This post is sponsored by Pure Flavor. All opinions are my own.

Here’s the simple list of ingredients you will need for this recipe:

Large Sweet Bell Peppers – I love using the ones from Pure Flavor! They are huge so they hold a lot of filling, and they are study and hold up well during baking. They’re also really sweet and the colors are gorgeous. Pure Flavor bell peppers are available at Rouse’s markets and other retailers.

Ground beef and sausage – Mixing these two meats gives an extra depth of flavor to the dish. Feel free to use any ground meat variation.

Cooked Rice – Brown or white works, whatever you have on hand.

Onions & garlic – key for adding flavor, flavor!

Canned tomatoes – I like using fire roasted to make it even more special. We are also using a can of tomato sauce for the filling.

Mushrooms – These aren’t required but they taste great in this recipe and are an easy way to get in more veggies!

Italian seasonings – I used a dried mix of herbs de Provence, you can use whatever herbs you fancy: basil, oregano, thyme, etc.

Cheese – Mozzarella melts beautifully on top, but feel free to diversify the flavors with other cheeses like parmesan, cheddar, etc.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers

You will need 6-8 large sweet bell peppers for this recipe. First, cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the inner ribs & seeds.

Place them, cut side down, in a 9×13″ casserole dish. Then, fill the dish with about 1/2 inch of water to help the peppers steam-bake in the oven.

Transfer peppers to a 400 F oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes while you are making the filling.

To make the filling, add a bit of cooking oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Saute chopped onions & mushrooms for several minutes.

Next, add ground beef and sausage (or whatever meat you’re using) to the skillet and allow to brown. Season with salt & pepper and add garlic during the last minute or so of cooking time. Drain off any excess grease.

To the same skillet, add diced tomatoes and half of the can of tomato sauce, saving the rest for later. Also add the cooked rice, season with Italian seasoning, and add extra salt & pepper to taste.

Remove peppers from the oven and drain off any excess water from the dish. Reduce oven heat to 350 F and flip peppers back over to be filled.

Lightly sprinkle the inside of each pepper with salt. Scoop the meat mixture into each pepper, leaving a little bit of room at the top.

Next, pour on a bit of the extra tomato sauce on top of each pepper.

Sprinkle generously with mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese you desire) and return to the oven.

Bake 30-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden brown on top. Sprinkle with parsley or chives if desired and serve immediately.

8 servings