Stuffed Peppers with Rice
Sweet bell peppers baked until spoon-tender around a savory filling of seasoned ground beef, fluffy rice, tomatoes, and melty cheddar. A quick blanch softens the peppers before they hit the oven, and slightly underdone rice soaks up the beefy tomato juices as everything bakes, so the filling stays moist instead of mushy or dry. It is straightforward, family-style American comfort food that reheats beautifully.
Simmer 200 g (1 cup) long-grain rice until just shy of tender while you cut the tops off 6 bell peppers, seed them, and blanch them 4 minutes in boiling salted water. Brown 450 g (1 lb) ground beef with diced onion and garlic, drain the fat, then stir in Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, drained diced tomatoes, and half a cup of tomato sauce; fold in the rice and half the cheddar off heat. Stand the peppers in a 9x13-inch dish, pack in the filling, spoon the remaining sauce over the tops, pour 120 ml (1/2 cup) broth into the dish, cover with foil, and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 35 minutes. Uncover, top with the rest of the cheese, bake 10-12 minutes more until melted, and rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Blanch the peppers for 4 minutes first — they come out spoon-tender without having to overbake the filling.
- Cook the rice just shy of done; it finishes by absorbing the beefy tomato juices in the oven instead of turning mushy.
- Drain both the beef fat and the canned tomatoes, or the filling will be watery at the bottom of each pepper.
Equipment
- Large pot (for rice and blanching)
- 12-inch (30 cm) skillet
- 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Colander
- Aluminum foil
Składniki
Peppers & Pan
- large bell peppers (any color), choose wide, flat-bottomed peppers that stand upright
- 15 ml olive oil
- 120 ml low-sodium beef broth, chicken broth or water also work
Rice & Beef Filling
- 200 g long-grain white rice, or about 3 cups cooked leftover rice
- 360 ml water (for the rice)
- 450 g ground beef, 85% lean
- yellow onion, finely diced, about 150 g / 1 cup
- garlic cloves, minced
- 411 g canned diced tomatoes, drained, drain well before adding
- 240 ml tomato sauce, half goes in the filling, half on top
- 10 ml Italian seasoning
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 9 g fine salt, divided; plus more for the blanching water
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Cheese & Finishing
- 170 g shredded sharp cheddar, or Monterey Jack
- 8 g fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Przygotowanie
- KROK01
Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then combine it with 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) water and a pinch of salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it steam, covered. The grains should be just shy of fully tender — they will finish cooking in the oven. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 190°C (375°F).
- KROK02
Slice about 1 cm (1/2 inch) off the top of each pepper and pull out the seeds and white ribs. If a pepper wobbles, shave a paper-thin slice off the base without cutting through to the cavity. Lower the peppers into a large pot of boiling salted water and blanch for 4 minutes, then lift them out and drain cut-side down on a towel.
- KROK03
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until softened, about 4 minutes, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spatula, and cook until no pink remains, 5 to 6 minutes. Tilt the pan and spoon off all but about a tablespoon of fat.
- KROK04
Stir in the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper, and toast for 30 seconds. Add the drained diced tomatoes and half of the tomato sauce; simmer 3 minutes so the mixture thickens slightly. Off the heat, fold in the cooked rice and half of the cheddar. Taste and adjust with the remaining salt.
- KROK05
Stand the peppers upright in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pack the filling into each one, mounding it slightly above the rim. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the tops and pour the broth into the bottom of the dish — it steams the peppers and keeps the pan from scorching.
- KROK06
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 35 minutes, until a paring knife slides easily into the side of a pepper.
- KROK07
Remove the foil, scatter the remaining cheddar over the peppers, and bake uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and spotty brown at the edges.
- KROK08
Let the peppers rest in the dish for 5 minutes so the filling sets and the juices settle. Sprinkle with parsley and serve, spooning a little of the pan juices around each pepper.
Make ahead
The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Fully assembled (unbaked) peppers hold well covered in the fridge for 24 hours — add the broth just before baking and give them an extra 10 minutes under the foil since they start cold.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat covered in a 175°C (350°F) oven for about 20 minutes, or microwave a single pepper for 2 to 3 minutes. To freeze, wrap cooled baked peppers individually and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Variations
Tex-Mex
Swap the Italian seasoning for 1 tablespoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and fold 130 g (3/4 cup) black beans and 75 g (1/2 cup) corn into the filling. Use pepper Jack instead of cheddar and finish with cilantro, lime wedges, and a spoonful of sour cream.
Vegetarian or vegan
Replace the beef with 400 g (2 cups) cooked brown lentils plus 225 g (8 oz) finely chopped mushrooms sautéed until browned, and use vegetable broth. For a vegan version, skip the cheddar or use a plant-based shredded cheese; the dish stays gluten-free either way.
Italian sausage and marinara
Use bulk hot or sweet Italian sausage in place of the beef and marinara in place of the plain tomato sauce. Top with mozzarella and a dusting of Parmesan, and finish with torn basil instead of parsley.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Najczęstsze pytania
Do I need to cook the rice before stuffing the peppers?
Yes. Stuffed peppers with rice rely on par-cooked grains — raw rice buried in a dense beef filling cannot absorb liquid evenly, so you end up with crunchy patches. Cook the rice until it is just shy of tender; it soaks up the tomato and beef juices in the oven and lands perfectly cooked, not mushy.
Can I skip blanching the peppers?
You can, but plan on 15 to 20 extra minutes of covered baking, and the pepper walls will still be firmer. The 4-minute blanch is the fastest route to a pepper you can cut with a fork while the filling and cheese stay moist.
Can I make stuffed peppers with rice ahead of time or freeze them?
Both work well. Assemble up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate, adding about 10 minutes to the covered bake. For the freezer, wrap baked and cooled peppers individually and freeze up to 3 months, then thaw overnight and reheat covered at 175°C (350°F) until hot in the center.
Why did my stuffed peppers turn out watery?
Three usual culprits: undrained canned tomatoes, unskimmed beef fat, or skipping the rest. Drain the tomatoes well, spoon off the fat after browning, and let the peppers rest 5 minutes after baking. Liquid in the bottom of the dish is normal — that is the broth doing its steaming job — just lift the peppers out with a slotted spoon.
What kind of rice works best?
Long-grain white rice is the classic choice because the grains stay distinct. Brown rice works too, but cook it fully before stuffing since it will not soften much more in the oven. For a lower-carb version, sauté cauliflower rice for 3 to 4 minutes and use it in place of the cooked grains.
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