Description
Cheesy Stuffed Bell Peppers (Golden Baked Tops) are a must-try! Colorful bell peppers stuffed with a savory filling, topped with melty cheese, and baked until golden brown. A wholesome, hearty dish perfect for dinner!
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large bell peppers (any color, tops sliced off & seeds removed)
- 1 lb ground beef, turkey, or chicken
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked rice (white, brown, or cauliflower rice)
- 1 cup tomato sauce (plus extra for serving)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes (optional)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp paprika
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (mixed into filling)
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a baking dish.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion and garlic, sauté until fragrant. Stir in ground meat and cook until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Mix in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, rice, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in ½ cup mozzarella.
- Fill each bell pepper generously with the meat-rice mixture. Place them upright in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over each stuffed pepper.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15–20 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Garnish with parsley and serve warm with extra tomato sauce if desired.
Notes
- Feel free to customize the filling with your favorite vegetables or spices.
- For a vegetarian option, substitute the meat with black beans or lentils.
- These stuffed peppers can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg