Beef and Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

These stuffed bell peppers with rice are worth a try! Ninety-four percent of all stuffed peppers are made because there's leftover rice around. You can adjust this recipe in many different ways: the herbs, the meat, etc. Any ground meat works: lamb, pork, or an equal mixture of sausage and beef is fantastic. I used lean beef, but I recommend trying 1 pound beef with 1/2 pound pork sausage.

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

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 ½ cups cooked rice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 6 bell peppers
• 3 cups chunky tomato sauce, divided
• ½ onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

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.