I grew up on stuffed peppers – and stuffed cabbage. They were such staples at my nunna’s and I do nothing but crave them all the time. (Aren’t all nunna’s cookings like way good?!) While these aren’t hers, they’re my go-to quick, simple, and easy stuffed peppers recipe.

I make these often. Sometimes, I even like to “unstuff” them, cutting up the pepper after I’ve boiled it and it to the filling. Sometimes, I bypass the bell peppers altogether. I mean, these stuffed peppers are so versatile, easy, and filling. I just had to share.

You can add what you’d like (veggies, other seasonings, herbs, etc) or keep them simple as such. For a vegetarian or vegan option, you can substitute with plant-based meat or chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans). I like to use Impossible Burger Meat in mine, but I’ve also tried stuffed peppers with Morningstar Farms Griller Crumbles and both are *chef’s kiss*!

simple stuffed peppers

yummy bell peppers filled with rice and meat of choice

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 2 bell peppers can be any color
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1 lb ground beef as a vegetarian, I use Impossible Burger Meat
• 1/2 white onion diced
• 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• garlic powder to taste
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Cook rice according to packaging, adding in a bit of salt and bay leaves. Dispose of bay leaves when finished.
• While rice is cooking, cut the top off your bell pepper and boil it until softened or desired texture. Set aside.
• Add meat to skillet. Dice onion and add once meat is browned.
• Add garlic powder, salt, pepper, rice, and 2/3 of tomato sauce to skillet. Stir.
• Spoon stuffing into bell pepper. Top with 1/3 tomato sauce.
• Serve as is. Or, place in oven safe dish at 350 for 10 minutes.

Notes

• Boiling the pepper is optional if you’d like it crisp.
• There might be left over filling. You can make more peppers with it or refrigerate, making great leftovers.
• Another great option is to dice and add the bell pepper to the mixture, rather than stuffing the pepper.
• Baking is optional. I don’t do it often, but they’re great either way!

Voilà! Yummy and simple stuffed peppers that you are bound to make often for dinner. Most of us already have the ingredients in our pantries. It’s also a super easy way to make a veggie-centered dish rather than keeping veggies on the side.

You may also like: sauteed garlic green beans: easy 15-minute recipe

I’m so happy I’ve gotten to share this with all of you!

Tried it? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Until next time!