Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers are one of those easy to make meals that doesn’t get nearly enough recognition. They are healthy and delicious!
Eating the rainbow is always a good idea! This recipe has lots of rainbow colors with the multi-colored peppers, tomatoes, green chilies, and onions.
I used tomatoes that I canned last summer. Canning those tomatoes was a huge job that took an entire day but, the results are delicious! They are also healthier without all of the added crap. The only two ingredients in that jar are tomatoes and salt. Do this once and you will never want to go back to any other.
Tips for making Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers
- The meat and rice filling for these peppers makes at least a quart more than you will need. I usually fill a mason jar and freeze it for later. Just remove from the freezer the night before you plan to make stuffed peppers and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. I love homemade freezer meals!
- I used to boil the peppers a few minutes before filling which cut down on some oven time. I have found that it is easier to skip that step and sometimes add a little water to the baking dish. Adding the water isn’t absolutely necessary for the peppers to cook through because they will release some water while cooking. It will help speed things along if you are impatient like me π
- I love using Monterey jack cheese for this recipe because it is
a semi-soft cheese and melts perfectly! I mixed it with cheddar for this recipe for flavor.
Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers
A classic stuffed pepper recipe with a meat and rice filling with the addition of chilies and spices to amp up the flavor.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
- 3 large bell peppers
- 1 med. onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 4 oz can green chilies
- 1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
- 1 4 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- 2 cups cheddar and monterey jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven over medium heat brown the ground meat until done and drain.
- Slice bell peppers in half or remove the tops and arrange in a baking dish.
- Return drained meat to the dutch oven and add all remaining ingredients except the cheese.
- Simmer on med/low heat until liquid is reduced and rice is done. Around 20-25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and top each pepper with the cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes or just until the cheese has melted.
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