Stuffed Pepper Casserole gives you tender peppers, savory beef and rice under a bubbly cheese topping—a cozy choice for a weeknight dinner. You get the familiar ingredients of stuffed peppers without filling each pepper individually.
How to make stuffed pepper casserole: Sauté the beef and diced vegetables, then combine them with uncooked rice, tomatoes and broth. Bake covered at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes, until the rice is tender; add cheese and bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- No peppers to fill: Dice them and cook them with the beef before everything goes into the baking dish.
- Rice cooks in the casserole: You can add it uncooked instead of preparing a separate pot.
- Cheese goes on last: The rice gets its covered bake first, followed by a bubbly, golden topping.
- A full baking dish: Ground beef, peppers and rice come together in a casserole that serves 6.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: You’ll cook it in a skillet before it goes into the baking dish. Keep a food thermometer nearby: USDA FSIS says ground beef must reach 160°F, and its color alone won’t tell you that it has.
Bell peppers and onion: Dice the peppers rather than leaving them whole. They go into the skillet with the onion and garlic; you’re looking for a translucent onion and peppers that have begun to soften, not peppers you need to stuff later.
Long-grain white rice: Buy the uncooked kind specified here. I wouldn’t substitute a different rice and assume the covered baking time will still tell you when it’s done; check the grains for tenderness before the cheese goes on.
Tomatoes and broth: Pour in the tomato juices along with the diced tomatoes, then use the full amount of beef broth. The rice cooks in that liquid while the dish is covered, so don’t drain the tomatoes before you start.
Cheese: Shredded cheddar makes the topping; Colby is an option if you prefer it. I like to wait until the rice is tender before adding either cheese, so I can check the grains without disturbing the topping.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 bell peppers, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
1. Prepare the oven and dish. Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray, and have foil ready for the covered bake.
2. Cook the beef. Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles. Use a food thermometer to check that it reaches 160°F, then drain the excess fat.
3. Soften the vegetables. Add the diced onion, bell peppers and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent and the peppers begin to soften.
4. Add the seasonings and rice. Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, the uncooked rice, beef broth and tomato paste; stir until the ingredients are combined.
5. Bake covered. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, then check the rice. If the grains are still firm, cover the dish again and continue baking until they’re tender.
6. Add the cheese and check doneness. Once the rice is tender, remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese over the casserole. Bake uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Before serving, check that the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
7. Serve. Let the casserole cool for a few minutes, then spoon it out of the dish. You should be able to see tender rice, pieces of pepper and beef beneath the melted cheese.
Do the Peppers or Rice Need Cooking First?
The peppers get a head start in the skillet; the rice does not. Cook the diced peppers with the beef, onion and garlic until the vegetables begin to soften. Then stir in uncooked long-grain white rice along with the tomatoes and broth.
I use the rice, not the clock, to decide when the foil comes off. At the first check, spoon into the middle of the dish and taste the grains: they should be tender, with most of the liquid absorbed. If they’re firm, leave the cheese off and keep baking with the foil in place.
Once the rice is ready, the uncovered bake is just for the cheese. That gives you a soft, tomato-coated filling beneath a bubbly golden layer rather than asking the cheese topping to wait through the covered rice bake. You don’t need a separate pan of cooked rice or a pot of whole peppers.
Tips for Success
Why is there liquid around my rice?
At the first check, you may see liquid that the grains haven’t absorbed yet. Leave the dish covered and keep baking until the rice is tender and most of that liquid has been absorbed. I’d check the middle rather than judging the casserole by its edges alone.
Why are my peppers still quite firm?
If the diced peppers haven’t begun to soften when the onion turns translucent, give the vegetables more time in the skillet before transferring the mixture. That skillet stage is part of this method; the peppers aren’t meant to go into the baking dish raw.
Why does the cheese look done while the rice is firm?
That happens if the cheese goes on before you’ve checked the rice. The fix is to hold the cheese until the covered bake has produced tender grains. I’d rather wait to uncover the dish than try to judge the rice through a finished topping.
Variations
- Use Colby: Swap the shredded cheddar for shredded Colby cheese.
- Add more cheese: Increase the shredded cheddar from 1 cup to 2 cups if you want a thicker topping; still add it only after the rice is tender.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers; keep them refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months. Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator, cold water or microwave—not on the counter. Cover the casserole while reheating and check that it reaches 165°F; don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
For a pepper-centered starter before the casserole, try mini pepper poppers. This dish already brings beef and rice to the table, so I’d save the other hearty casseroles for future dinners: ground beef noodle casserole, beef and corn casserole, hobo casserole, cowboy casserole or pierogi and sausage casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to rinse the rice?
No rinsing step is needed for these instructions. Measure the uncooked long-grain white rice and stir it into the skillet mixture with the tomatoes and broth.
Can I tell whether the beef is cooked by looking for pink?
No. USDA FSIS says browned color or the absence of pink is not a substitute for checking ground beef with a food thermometer. The reading you need is 160°F.
Can I reheat leftover casserole in a slow cooker?
No; USDA FSIS does not recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker. Use another reheating method and check the casserole with a food thermometer before eating it.
Are the bell peppers left whole and filled?
No. Dice the peppers and cook them with the beef and onion, then bake everything together in a dish. You’ll get pieces of pepper throughout each spoonful rather than an individually filled pepper.
Final Notes
When you check the rice, take a spoonful from the center so you’re judging the part of the casserole that takes longest to finish. If you have a question or make it for dinner, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion medium, diced
- 3 bell peppers diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14 ounces; include the juices
- 1 cup long-grain white rice uncooked
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and have foil ready.
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles. Check with a food thermometer that it reaches 160°F; drain excess fat.
- Add the diced onion, bell peppers and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent and the peppers begin to soften.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, uncooked rice, beef broth and tomato paste; stir well.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish and cover with foil. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, checking whether the rice is tender. Keep baking covered if the rice needs more time.
- When the rice is tender, remove the foil and sprinkle on the cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Check that the casserole center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before serving.
