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Rolling Sauce

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ground beef, rice, and tomato sauce packed into pre-roasted pepper halves and finished with bubbly mozzarella — on the table in under 45 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings: 4 (8 halves)
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Peppers
  • - 4 large bell peppers any color, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • - 1 tbsp olive oil
Filling
  • - 1 lb ground beef 80/20
  • - 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • - 3 garlic cloves minced
  • - 1 cup cooked white rice
  • - 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • - 1 tsp garlic powder
  • - ½ tsp paprika
  • - Salt and black pepper to taste
  • - ¾ cup shredded mozzarella for the filling
Topping
  • - ¾ cup shredded mozzarella for the top
  • - Fresh parsley chopped, for serving

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve the peppers lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes, and place cut-side up in a large baking dish. Brush the insides lightly with olive oil. Pre-bake for 12 minutes.
  2. While the peppers roast, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, 5–6 minutes. Drain excess grease.
  3. Add the diced onion and cook 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
  4. Stir in the tomato sauce, cooked rice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until combined and thick. Remove from heat and stir in ¾ cup mozzarella.
  5. Remove the pre-roasted peppers from the oven. Spoon the filling generously into each pepper half. Top with the remaining ¾ cup mozzarella.
  6. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 18–20 minutes, until cheese is melted, browned in spots, and the peppers are fully tender.
  7. Rest 5 minutes, then scatter parsley over the top and serve.

Notes

  • Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave 1–2 minutes, or oven at 350°F for 12–15 minutes.
  • Make ahead: Assemble without the cheese topping, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add cheese and bake at 400°F for 25–28 minutes when ready.
  • Swap: Ground turkey or Italian sausage swap 1:1 for the beef. For Mexican-style, use taco seasoning instead of Italian seasoning, salsa instead of tomato sauce, and pepper jack cheese instead of mozzarella.