Description
Delicious stuffed mini peppers filled with a savory beef and rice mixture, topped with melted cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12–15 mini bell peppers (tops cut off, seeds removed)
- 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey/chicken)
- 1 cup cooked rice (white or brown)
- 1 small onion (finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese (divided)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce (optional, for baking dish)
- Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Wash peppers, cut off tops, and remove seeds. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
- In a skillet, sauté onion and garlic in a little olive oil until softened.
- Add ground beef and cook until browned, seasoning with salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
- Stir in tomato paste, cooked rice, Parmesan cheese, and half of the mozzarella. Remove from heat.
- Stir in beaten egg to help bind the filling.
- Fill each pepper generously with the beef & rice mixture.
- Place upright in a greased baking dish. If using marinara sauce, spread it along the bottom of the dish.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cover with foil and bake for 25–30 minutes.
- Remove foil, sprinkle tops with remaining cheese, and bake another 10 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Serve warm with extra rice or a fresh side salad.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute ground beef with turkey or chicken for a lighter option.
- For a vegetarian version, use a meat substitute and add more vegetables.
- These can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg