Italian stuffed peppers are the epitome of easy, cozy, & savory dinners. My Grams always made stuffed peppers and as a child, I never did appreciate them. Now, they’ve earned a permanent spot in our winter dinner rotations.
Stuffed peppers are simple to make during the week, or an ideal dish to make for meal prep. They reheat so well and are so easily portable.
I will be fully transparent, that I just learned how to cook the best pepper though. Before, I could never figure out how to get the pepper cooked all the way without putting it in the oven for over an hour, and it still never seemed cooked through enough. Turns out, all you need to do is boil the peppers for just two minutes each before you fill them. Boom- a perfectly cooked, crisp-tender, bell pepper.
To create these mini-masterpieces, cook up your yellow onion and ground beef in a heavenly combination of Italian spices and lots of garlic. Mix in your rice of choice, cheese, and marinara sauce. I am partial to my essential Italian herb sauce, but if you have to go with store-bought, Classico is my go-to brand.
Boil your peppers, and fill ’em up. Top with extra cheese and bake them til they’re heated through and the cheese is bubbling on top.
These Italian stuffed peppers can be saved in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat for 2-3 minutes in the microwave.
Italian Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- baking dish
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 6 green peppers
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 C cooked brown rice white rice or quinoa work too
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp basil
- 1/2 C shredded mozzarella (plus more to top)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the onions and ground beef through completely. Season with salt and pepper, garlic, oregano, thyme, and basil. Once cooked, remove from the stove and set aside.
- In a large pot, bring about 4 cups of water to a boil and preheat the oven to 350
- Clean the peppers and cut the tops off, leaving an open and free-standing pepper. Once the water is boiling, drop half of the peppers in at a time, boiling for 2 minutes each. Remove from the boiling water and place into a lined baking dish
- Combine the cooked ground beef and onions, cooked rice, marinara sauce, and 1/2 C of mozzarella and mix well. Fill each pepper to the desired amount, and top with cheese
- Bake stuffed peppers for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese on top is browned and melted
