Description
Make this classic, comforting dinner using simple ingredients. These oven-baked stuffed peppers are filling, flavorful, and perfect for a weeknight family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 bell peppers, any color
- 3 cups chunky tomato sauce, divided
- 1/2 onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Slice 1/2-inch from the top of each pepper; remove stems and set them aside for the tops. Cut the core from the inside of the peppers and remove all seeds. Trim a thin slice from the bottoms so the peppers stand upright. Poke about 4 small holes in the bottoms to allow juices to drain.
- Pour 2 1/2 cups of tomato sauce into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add the sliced onion, beef broth, and red pepper flakes; spread this mixture evenly across the bottom of the dish.
- Stand the hollowed bell peppers upright in the prepared baking dish.
- Combine the ground beef, cooked rice, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce, 1/4 cup parsley, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix these ingredients together.
- Lightly stuff the peppers with the meat mixture. Spread 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce over the top of each portion of stuffing; place the reserved pepper tops onto the stuffed peppers.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper loosely over the tops of the peppers and cover the entire dish tightly with foil. Place the baking dish on top of a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the peppers have softened slightly, about 1 hour.
- Remove the foil and parchment paper. Continue baking until the meat filling is cooked through and the peppers are soft, sweet, and tender, about 20 to 30 more minutes.
- Sprinkle each pepper with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining parsley and drizzle with a spoonful of the pan juices before serving.
Notes
- This recipe yields 6 servings.
- For best results, use lean ground beef to keep the dish from becoming too greasy.
- You can prepare the beef and rice mixture ahead of time to save time on a busy evening.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pepper
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 38
- Cholesterol: 95
Keywords: stuffed bell peppers, rice and beef, easy dinner, family meal, baked peppers, ground beef recipe, comfort food, weeknight dinner