Description
This delicious stuffed peppers recipe features bell peppers roasted until tender and filled with a flavorful mixture of ground beef, spinach, fire-roasted tomatoes, and cooked rice, all topped with melted Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese. It’s a satisfying and wholesome meal perfect for a family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Peppers
- 6 bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
Filling
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Topping
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
- Chopped parsley, for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it’s ready for roasting the peppers.
- Roast the peppers: Place the halved bell peppers cut side up on a baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast them in the oven for about 20 minutes until they become slightly tender but still hold shape.
- Sauté garlic and onion: While the peppers roast, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and diced onion, sautéing for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Cook the ground beef: Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook it by breaking it up with a spoon until it is browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add remaining filling ingredients: Stir in the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, chopped spinach, cooked rice, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the spinach wilts and all the ingredients are well combined.
- Stuff the peppers: Remove the bell peppers from the oven and carefully stuff each pepper half with the beef and rice mixture, filling them generously.
- Add cheese topping: Sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese evenly over each stuffed pepper.
- Bake stuffed peppers: Return the stuffed peppers to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden.
- Garnish and serve: Remove the peppers from the oven and garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- To save time, you can use pre-cooked rice or leftover rice for the filling.
- Feel free to substitute ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based meat for a different twist.
- For a spicier version, add some red pepper flakes or chopped jalapeños to the filling.
- Leftover stuffed peppers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, ensure the canned tomatoes and seasonings have no added gluten-containing ingredients.
