Stuffed Pepper Casserole
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Stuffed Pepper Casserole has everything you love about stuffed peppers without the hollowing, the filling, or the hour in the oven. Ground pork and beef, rice, peppers, and tomatoes all cook together in one skillet, then cheddar goes over the top. Thirty minutes, start to finish.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole ready in just 30 minutes!
Stuffed peppers are lovely and they’re a lot of work for a Tuesday.
You’ve got to cut the tops off, hollow them out, make the filling separately, stuff each one without tearing it, stand them up in a dish so they don’t tip over, and then bake for an hour. It’s a Sunday project.
This is the same meal without any of that. Everything goes in one skillet in the order it needs to cook, the rice softens right in the tomatoes and broth, and cheddar melts over the top at the end. Thirty minutes and you’ve washed one pan.
The dill is the thing that surprises people. A tablespoon of it, which sounds like a lot in a dish with paprika and tomatoes, and it’s what makes this taste like the stuffed peppers I grew up with rather than a generic beef and rice bake. Romanian stuffed peppers always have dill in them.
This one’s from my first cookbook, 30 Minute One Pot Meals, and it’s still one of the recipes people write to me about most.
What You’re Not Doing
No hollowing. The peppers get chopped and cooked with everything else, which means you use the whole pepper instead of throwing away the tops and the seeds.
No separate filling. In a traditional recipe you make the meat and rice mixture, then stuff it, then bake. Here the filling cooks and the rice cooks in the same pan at the same time.
No hour in the oven. Stuffed peppers need that long because the pepper walls have to soften. Chopped peppers soften in 5 minutes.
No second dish. This starts and finishes in one skillet.
What you lose is the look of it. A stuffed pepper on a plate is a nice thing to put in front of someone. This is a skillet of beef and rice with cheese on top, and it’s considerably less photogenic.
What you keep is all the flavor, which is the part that matters on a weeknight.
Ingredients in Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Olive oil (1 tablespoon): For browning the meat. Any neutral oil works.
- Ground pork (1 pound) and ground beef (1 pound): The pair together is better than either alone. Pork brings fat and a bit of sweetness, beef brings the savory depth. All beef works if that’s what you have, and you may want a splash more oil since it can be leaner. Ground turkey or chicken work too and want more seasoning.
- Onion (1, chopped) and green bell pepper (1 large, chopped): Green peppers are traditional in stuffed peppers and they’re slightly sharper than red. Red or yellow are sweeter and better if you’re feeding children.
- Smoked paprika (1 teaspoon): Smoky depth. Regular paprika works and you’ll miss the smoke.
- Garlic powder (½ teaspoon): Distributes evenly through the whole skillet in a way minced garlic doesn’t here.
- Red pepper flakes (¼ teaspoon): Warmth rather than heat. Leave it out entirely if you’d rather.
- Dried dill (1 tablespoon): The one that makes this taste right. A tablespoon looks like a lot and it isn’t. Dill is standard in Romanian and Eastern European stuffed peppers, and without it this tastes like a different dish.
- Salt (½ teaspoon) and pepper (¼ teaspoon): Season the meat as it browns and taste again at the end.
- Rice (½ cup, uncooked): Long grain white is what I use. The recipe in the cookbook uses instant rice to speed things up and both work. Brown rice needs considerably longer and more liquid, so I’d cook it separately and stir it in.
- Chicken broth (1 cup, low sodium): Cooks the rice along with the tomato juice. Beef or vegetable broth work just as well.
- Diced tomatoes (14 ounce can, with the juice): Juice and all, since that’s part of the liquid the rice needs. Fire roasted tomatoes are excellent here if you can find them.
- Cheddar cheese (1 cup, shredded): Goes on at the end and melts from the residual heat. The cookbook version doesn’t have cheese at all, so it’s genuinely optional. Mozzarella or a Mexican blend both work.
- Fresh parsley (1 tablespoon, chopped) and sour cream (for serving): Parsley for color and freshness. Sour cream is optional and very good, because something cool and tangy against all that rich meat works beautifully.
How To Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Brown the meat. Olive oil in a large skillet over medium high, then the pork and beef, broken up as they cook. About 5 minutes until there’s no pink left. Get some real color on it rather than just cooking it through, since that browning is a lot of the flavor.
Vegetables and spices. Onion and bell pepper straight into the same pan, then the smoked paprika, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, dill, salt, and pepper. Five minutes, until the vegetables have softened and everything smells good.
Rice in, then the liquid. Stir the rice through so it picks up the fat and spices, then add the broth and the tomatoes with all their juice.
Cook 10 to 15 minutes on medium, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid. Different rice absorbs at different rates, so go by the rice rather than the clock. If it’s still firm and the pan is dry, add a splash more broth and keep going.
Cheese on top. Scatter the cheddar over, and within a couple of minutes the residual heat will melt it. Parsley over that.
Serve straight from the skillet, with sour cream on the side for anyone who wants it.
Things Worth Knowing
- Brown the meat properly. Not just until it’s cooked, until it’s got color. That’s where the depth comes from.
- Don’t skip the dill. A tablespoon, and it’s what makes this taste like stuffed peppers rather than a beef and rice bake.
- Go by the rice, not the timer. Brands absorb differently, so taste a grain before you call it done.
- Add broth if it’s drying out. A splash at a time. Better than ending up with firm rice.
- Taste before serving. Between the broth and the tomatoes there’s a fair bit going on, and it may want more salt or more dill.
- Let the cheese melt from the heat. No need to put it under the broiler, though you can if you want it browned.
Variations
- With more vegetables. Diced zucchini, mushrooms, or corn stirred in with the onion and pepper.
- Different peppers. Red or yellow instead of green for something sweeter, which children generally prefer.
- Vegetarian. Skip the meat and double the vegetables. Mushrooms are the best substitute since they bring savoriness. A can of drained black beans adds substance.
- Low carb. Cauliflower rice in place of the rice, added in the last 5 minutes so it doesn’t go mushy. You’ll need much less liquid, so cut the broth back to about ¼ cup.
- Italian. Swap the dill for dried oregano and basil, and use mozzarella instead of cheddar.
- Mexican. Swap the dill for cumin and chili powder, add a can of black beans, and top with a Mexican cheese blend.
- Baked. Transfer everything to a baking dish before the cheese goes on and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes for a browned top.
What To Serve With It
It’s a complete meal in one skillet, so anything alongside is a bonus rather than a necessity.
Easy Garlic Bread
Easy Tossed Salad
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Easy Focaccia
Make Ahead And Storage
Make ahead: brown the meat and cook the vegetables up to 2 days early and keep them in the fridge. Then it’s 15 minutes to finish on the night.
Fridge: 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Cool it and get it in the fridge promptly, since cooked rice needs to be handled carefully.
Freezer: 3 months. Freeze it in a bag with the air pressed out, laid flat. Thaw overnight in the fridge and fluff the rice before reheating.
Reheating: a skillet over medium with a splash of broth to loosen it, or the microwave in 30 second bursts. The rice firms up in the fridge and needs a bit of liquid to come back.
More Delicious Casseroles To Try
- Lemon and Chicken Rice Bake
- One Pot Cheesy Chicken Rice Casserole
- Chicken Rice Pilaf
- Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
- No Peek Chicken Rice Casserole
- Sloppy Joe Casserole
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 large green bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- ½ cup rice (uncooked)
- 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes ((1 can including juice))
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
- sour cream (for serving, optional)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the 1 pound ground pork and 1 pound ground beef, breaking the meat up as it cooks. Cook for 5 minutes, until browned and no longer pink.
- Add the 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped green bell pepper. Stir in the 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon dried dill, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Stir in the ½ cup uncooked rice, then add the 1 cup chicken broth and the 14 ounces diced tomatoes with their juice.
- Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid. If the rice is still firm and the pan is dry, add a splash more broth and keep cooking.
- Sprinkle the 1 cup shredded cheddar over the top and let it melt from the residual heat, about 2 minutes. Garnish with the 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and serve with sour cream.
Equipment
Notes
- Brown the meat properly, not just until it’s cooked through. That color is where a lot of the flavor comes from.
- The dill matters. A tablespoon, and it’s what makes this taste like stuffed peppers rather than a generic beef and rice skillet.
- Go by the rice, not the timer. Brands absorb differently. Taste a grain before you call it done.
- Add broth if it’s drying out before the rice is tender. A splash at a time.
- Rice options: long grain white or instant rice both work. Brown rice needs longer and more liquid, so cook it separately and stir it in.
- Peppers: green is traditional and slightly sharper. Red or yellow are sweeter and more kid friendly.
- The cheese is optional. The version in my cookbook doesn’t have it.
- Storage: cool and refrigerate promptly, up to 4 days. Freezer up to 3 months, thawed overnight and fluffed before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between this and regular stuffed peppers?
Same flavors, none of the work. Traditional stuffed peppers need hollowing, filling, and an hour in the oven so the pepper walls soften. Chopped peppers soften in 5 minutes, so everything cooks together in one skillet in 30.
Can I use brown rice?
Not directly, since it needs about twice the cooking time and more liquid than this recipe allows. Cook it separately and stir it in at the end, or use instant brown rice.
Why is my rice still firm?
It probably needs a bit more liquid or a bit more time. Add a splash of broth, keep it on medium, and check again in 5 minutes. Rice brands absorb at different rates so the timing is a guide.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes. Skip the meat and double the vegetables. Mushrooms bring the savory depth you’d otherwise be missing, and a can of drained black beans adds substance.
Can I make it low carb?
Use cauliflower rice instead, added in the last 5 minutes so it doesn’t turn to mush. Cut the broth right back to about ¼ cup, since cauliflower doesn’t absorb the way rice does.
Can I freeze it?
Up to 3 months. Press the air out of the bag and freeze it flat, then thaw overnight in the fridge and fluff the rice before reheating.
