Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a simple and delicious one-pot alternative to traditional stuffed peppers. I especially love the casserole version because I never end up with undercooked peppers, but I still have a healthy, hearty meal that the whole family loves! Packed with veggies and protein, then topped with cheese, Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a healthy crowd pleaser you can make on the stovetop.

Want more One-Pot Meals? Try our Skillet Chicken with Beans and Greens, Skillet Chicken with Olives and Tomatoes, or our Stove Top Chicken Broccoli Cheesy Rice Casserole for an easy weeknight meal!

This casserole is a favorite weeknight dinner recipe for my family. We also love stuffed peppers, but I find that this Stuffed Pepper Casserole is both easier to make, and my kids love it more, even though it’s still packed with veggies (a good layer of cheese makes all the vegetables easier to enjoy, right?).

Best of all, I only have to get one pan dirty to make this super hearty dinner for my whole family. I serve it with some good crusty bread on the side, and everyone is satisfied. You’re going to have this recipe on repeat!

What Goes Into Stuffed Pepper Casserole?

All simple and healthy ingredients! You can use ground beef or ground turkey for the protein – I used beef in the recipe as pictured below, but it’s great with either or even a mixture of both. Between the protein and the brown rice, it’s a hearty, filling recipe.

The veggies, however, add all the color and flavor. You can use any color of bell peppers, Green, Yellow, Orange, or Red. I like Red and Orange Bell Peppers best, so that’s normally what I use. In addition, this casserole has onions, spinach, fresh parsley, and tomatoes for the most comforting blend of flavors and nutrients. The Ranch Seasoning packet makes life easy peasy for you, adding in a bunch of flavors too. You can also add more or less cheese depending on how you like it (with my kids, more cheese is always better).

How Do You Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole

You can make this Stuffed Pepper Casserole entirely on the stovetop; you don’t even need the casserole dish! Just use a Dutch Oven or a deep skillet. Once all the veggies are chopped, it all comes together really quickly and with very little effort.

Place your skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground meat and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spatula as it cooks. Add the peppers and onions and parsley and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Stir in the garlic, Ranch Seasoning packet, and Worcestershire sauce, and cook for another minute. There is no extra salt or pepper used, but if you want to adjust the seasoning, feel free.

Add the thawed spinach, canned tomatoes and sauce, uncooked rice, and water or beef broth. Stir to evenly combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. When the time is up, uncover and stir, and then recover and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Note: brown rice is always a bit chewier than white rice, but it should be tender, not crunchy.

When the rice is cooked, and all of the excess liquid is gone from the pan, top with the shredded cheese. Cover for 5 or 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. If your pan is oven safe, you can place it under the broiler for a minute or two for a golden topping, but this isn’t necessary.

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve warm so you can enjoy the melty cheese topping!

Now this hearty dish, with dairy, protein, whole grain brown rice, and veggies, doesn’t need anything else to be a complete meal. So, you can just dig in or serve it with a simple side salad or crusty bread. It’s a crowd pleaser every time!

How Long Does it Take to Cook Brown Rice Compared to White Rice?

Using brown rice in a recipe is much healthier than using white rice. Brown rice still has the hull, germ, and bran, but all of these are removed with white rice. Therefore white rice cooks a lot faster than brown rice does. You can easily substitute white rice in this recipe, but you will need to adjust the time. White rice can cook in as little as 15 minutes, but brown rice can take up to 45 minutes.

Brown rice in a recipe like this you will barely notice because of all the other wonderful flavors, but you will get so much more nutrition, and so will your family.

You could also use wild rice, which is actually not rice at all but wild grass. It is also nutrient-dense but also takes longer to cook. Refer to the directions on the package for cooking times.

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Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Tara Noland

Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a simple and delicious one-pot alternative to traditional stuffed peppers. We love making simple meals like this.

4.67 from 15 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Calories 411 kcal

Ingredients

 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 2 bell peppers cored and diced
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1 oz Ranch Seasoning packet
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 12 oz frozen spinach thawed and thoroughly drained
• 1 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice rinsed and drained
• 2 cups water or beef broth
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Fresh Parsley for serving

Instructions

 

• Place a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground meat and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spatula as it cooks.
• Add the peppers, onions, and parsley and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender.
• Stir in the garlic, Ranch Seasoning packet, and Worcestershire sauce, and cook for another minute.
• Add the thawed spinach, canned tomatoes and sauce, uncooked rice, and water or beef broth. Stir to evenly combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• When the time is up, uncover and stir, and then recover and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Note: brown rice is always a bit chewier than white rice, but it should be tender, not crunchy.
• When the rice is cooked, and all of the excess liquid is gone from the pan, top with cheese. Cover for 5 or 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. If your pan is oven safe, you can place it under the broiler for a minute or two for a golden topping, but this isn’t necessary.
• Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve warm so you can enjoy the melty cheese topping!

Equipment

Le Creuset Enameled Dutch Oven Cast Iron Signature Oval Casserole, 40cm, 15.5 Qt, Cerise

DALSTRONG Santoku Knife – 7″ – Gladiator Series – German HC Steel – Sheath Included – NSF Certified

John Boos MPL1812125G Chop-N-Slice Select Maple Edge Grain Cutting Board, 18 Inches x 12 Inches x 1.25 Inches

Farberware Smart Control Nonstick Jumbo Cooker/Saute Pan with Lid and Helper Handle, 6 Quart, Black

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 411kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 30gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 646mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9g

Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!