These stuffed bell peppers are made with a delicious filling, and topped with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese. They are perfect for comfort food season.
What are stuffed bell peppers?
I first had stuffed bell peppers at friend’s house when I was in high school. Although, I’ve been a foodie my entire life, that was my first time trying a stuffed bell pepper. They were so good, that when I went home, I gave my mom a list of ingredients to get from the store, so I could prepare them for my mom, dad and brothers. While my mom is a great cook, and also the person that taught me everything I know in the kitchen, she had never had stuffed peppers neither. So, it felt really good to teach her something for a change 🙂
The peppers are stuffed with a hearty filling consisting of ground beef, ground sausage, tomato sauce, cooked rice and herbs. Then, topped with cheese, then baked in a preheated oven.
How to prepare
Ingredients:
- Bell peppers – You can use whatever color you like. I like a combination for green, yellow and red. I also sometimes use orange.
- Ground beef – I use 85/15, which is perfect because it doesn’t contain too much oil, but the perfect amount. Ground beef with more than 15 % fat, tends to me too greasy for this recipe.
- Ground sausage – This is something I added when I composed my own recipe for this dish. I felt the sausage will add that extra layer of flavor, and I was right.
- Grapeseed oil – Avocado, canola or olive oil can be used as well. This is to coat your bell peppers, prior to baking in oven.
- Yellow onion
- Minced garlic
- Cooked rice – Make sure you to cook your rice prior. Do not use raw rice!
- Tomato sauce
- Dried thyme
- Dried oregano
- Salt & pepper
- Sugar – Sugar is needed to take the bitterness out of the tomato sauce.
- Mozzarella cheese
- Cheddar cheese
Simple steps:
- Cut the tops off the bell peppers.
- Coat the outside of each pepper with the oil, salt and pepper mixture
- Cook the rice.
- Season and brown the meat.
- Add aromatics and tomato sauce.
- Add thyme, oregano, sugar and salt and pepper
- Stir in cooked rice.
- Stuff each pepper with mixture.
- Top with shredded cheeses
- Cover loosely with foil and bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes
- Serve immediately
Tips and Substitutions:
- Rice – If you are looking for a healthy route, brown can be used instead of white rice.
- Cheese – This dish is also good with only mozzarella cheese. I have only used mozzarella before and it is very good. I decided to add the cheddar to give it a little more richness.
- Meat – If you don’t eat pork, feel free to omit the sausage.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Bell peppers stuffed with ground beef, sausage and rice in a flavorful tomato sauce, and topped with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers any color you like
- 2 tbsp grapeseed, olive or avocado oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 lb. ground pork sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or 2 tbsp.
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl mix oil and a little salt and pepper together.
- Slice the peppers across the top. Remove the seeds, ribs and other contents from the inside. Brush the outside and bottom of bell peppers with oil mixture and place in baking dish, cut side up.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and break it up using a spatula or meat masher. Season with salt and pepper. Add ground sausage and cook for 5 minutes, or until meat is cooked.
- Add the onion, and cook an additional 3 minutes, then add garlic and good for 2 more minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, then stir in dried thyme, dried oregano, sugar. Add cooked rice. Stir everything together, then taste and add as much salt and pepper as you think it may need.
- Fill each pepper with meat mixture. Top each pepper with mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Cover loosely with foil and bake in preheated for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- Rice – If you are looking for a healthy route, brown can be used instead of white rice.
- Cheese – This dish is also good with only mozzarella cheese. I have only used mozzarella before and it is very good. I decided to add the cheddar to give it a little more richness.
- Meat – If you don’t eat pork, feel free to omit the sausage.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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