Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers
These peppers are an elevated version of classic stuffed peppers with spaghetti sauce, beef, and generous Italian seasonings.
Servings: 4 -6
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium sweet onion finely diced
- 4-6 bell peppers red, orange or yellow, depending on size
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced thin
- 24 ounces pasta sauce homemade or store-bought (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- ⅔ cup freshly shredded Monterrey jack, pepper jack, or Mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley chopped small
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the rice and the water in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. While the rice is simmering, cook the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet. Drain any excess grease, if needed.
- Add the mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the skillet with the meat. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
- While the filling is simmering, split the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Place the peppers on a large sheet pan and set aside. Add the cooked rice to the skillet with the meat and sauce. Stir to combine.
- Spoon an equal amount of this mixture into each bell pepper. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the top of each pepper.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake 50 minutes in the oven. Remove foil and top with cheese. Place back in the oven just until the cheese is melted, approximately 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Notes
I make this recipe with the full 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes. We don't find it to be too spicy at all, it simply deepens the flavor. If you are leery of the heat, I recommend starting with just half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to boost the flavor without adding much heat, if any at all.
If you’re lucky enough to have filling left over, you can stash it in the fridge or freezer and serve it over some sauteed peppers and onions another time.
Nutrition
Calories: 529kcal · Carbohydrates: 44g · Protein: 33g · Fat: 26g · Saturated Fat: 9g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g · Monounsaturated Fat: 13g · Trans Fat: 1g · Cholesterol: 88mg · Sodium: 2006mg · Potassium: 1435mg · Fiber: 9g · Sugar: 15g · Vitamin A: 6460IU · Vitamin C: 241mg · Calcium: 205mg · Iron: 6mg
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