Stuffed Bell Peppers are a classic American dish that can be customized in a million different ways! Here is a simple, homemade version stuffed with ground beef and melty cheese. These are great as a quick weeknight meal or even an afternoon snack. If you’ve never had stuffed bell peppers before, give these a try! Once you fall in love with these, you can play around with creating some versions of your own.
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 bell peppers, with tops and cores removed. Choose any color!
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400°
- 2. In a small pot, cook rice according to package instructions. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- 3. Add ground beef and break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink, 6 minutes. Then, drain fat.
- 4. Return beef mixture to skillet, then stir in cooked rice and diced tomatoes. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Let it simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.
- 5. Place peppers cut side-up in a 9″-x-13″ baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Spoon the beef mixture into each pepper and top with Monterey Jack cheese. Then, cover the baking dish with foil.
- 6. Bake until peppers are tender, about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is gooey and bubbly, 10 minutes more.
- 7. Garnish with parsley before serving and enjoy warm!
