Beef and Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

These stuffed bell peppers with rice are Chef John's recipe for a savory filling of seasoned ground meat, cheese, and parsley baked in tomato sauce.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 376 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup beef broth
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 bell peppers
• 3 cups chunky tomato sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
• 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 0.25 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
• 1.5 cups cooked rice
• 0.5 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 0.5 onion, very thinly sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Slice peppers 1/2-inch from the top; cut out stems and set aside tops. Cut core from the inside of peppers and strip away any seeds. Cut off a thin slice from the bottoms so peppers can stand upright. Poke about 4 tiny holes in the bottoms to let juices drain.

Step 3

Pour 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add onion, beef broth, and red pepper flakes; spread out mixture evenly over the bottom. Set bell peppers upright in the dish.

Step 4

Combine ground beef, cooked rice, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1/4 cup parsley, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Step 5

Lightly stuff peppers with meat mixture. Spread 1 tablespoon tomato sauce on top of each portion of stuffing; place reserved tops onto peppers. Lay a piece of parchment paper loosely on top of peppers and cover the dish tightly with foil. Place the dish on top of a baking sheet.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until peppers have softened slightly, about 1 hour. Remove foil and parchment paper. Continue baking until meat filling is cooked through and peppers are tender, 20 to 30 more minutes.

Step 7

Sprinkle each pepper with 1/2 teaspoon parsley and drizzle with a spoonful of pan juices.