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This easy Stuffed Pepper Casserole recipe is a perfect weeknight dinner! The comforting, flavorful meal includes ground beef, Italian sausage, sweet bell peppers, tender white rice, and plenty of cheese in a zesty Italian tomato sauce. Serve the healthy dish with a simple green side salad and a loaf of crusty bread for a family-friendly, make-ahead supper that’s ready in less than an hour!
Table of Contents
- Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole Ingredients
- How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- What to Serve with Undone Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- How to Store Leftover Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe
- More Stuffed Pepper Recipes to Try
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe
Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
This easy casserole is such a fun twist on classic Stuffed Peppers. In fact, my boys love the deconstructed unstuffed pepper casserole even more than the original dish since the casserole is so much easier to eat! The rich, hearty flavors of the sweet green peppers, ground beef, Italian sausage, and rice come together in a cozy meal that’s perfect for chilly evenings. Italian seasoning adds a subtle touch of zesty freshness to the delicious veggie-packed meal, which you can assemble in advance for a healthy dinner on busy nights.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pan of the best stuffed pepper casserole. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ground beef and ground Italian sausage: a flavorful blend that gives the dish a hearty, satisfying quality. Ground turkey or other ground meat will also work well!
- Onion and garlic: add savory flavor to the casserole filling.
- Bell peppers: I use green bell peppers, but you can try any color — red, yellow, orange, or a combination.
- Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce: the base of the sauce that holds the casserole together.
- Soy sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper: all add flavor to the sauce.
- Sugar: just a touch to balance the acidity in the tomato sauce and to create a more complex flavor.
- Cooked rice: I use long-grain white rice, but any variety of rice is fine. You can also substitute with cooked quinoa or cooked couscous.
- Sharp cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese: with a Cheddar Jack blend, you get the flavor of the cheddar and the gooey, melty quality of the Monterey Jack. Feel free to substitute with any other type of grated cheese (mozzarella, Colby, or Pepper Jack are all good options).
How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
This easy stuffed pepper casserole comes together with simple ingredients that you can assemble in advance.
- Brown the ground beef, sausage, onion, and garlic in a large skillet.
- Add the bell peppers, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and other seasonings.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Stir in the cooked rice.
- Transfer the mixture to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
- Bake the casserole in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot and bubbly.
Can I use uncooked rice in a stuffed pepper casserole?
Yes, you can use uncooked rice, but it will change the cooking time since uncooked rice will need enough time (and liquid) to cook completely while baking. I prefer to use cooked rice in this recipe, so I don’t have to worry about hard or chewy rice throughout the casserole. Try this dump-and-bake stuffed peppers to see how to use uncooked rice.
Can I make stuffed pepper casserole ahead of time?
Yes! This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes. You can also freeze the casserole before baking, making it the perfect grab-and-go freezer meal for a busy night.
How long do you baked stuffed pepper casserole?
Since all the ingredients are pre-cooked before baking, you only need to bake the stuffed peppers casserole for about 20 minutes until it’s just heated through and the cheese melts on top. Overcooking will lead to mushy rice and tough beef.
What to Serve with Undone Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Since this recipe includes veggies, rice, and meat, it’s a complete meal! If you’d like to round out the meal with additional sides, here are a few good options to serve with the easy stuffed pepper casserole:
- Skillet Cornbread, Corn Sticks, Mexican Cornbread, Honey Cornbread, or Corn Muffins
- Southern-Style Green Beans or Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad, or House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Baguette, Homemade Focaccia, or a loaf of crusty Dutch Oven Bread
- Buttermilk Biscuits, Drop Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, or Flaky Biscuits
- Creamy Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Southern Collard Greens
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
How to Store Leftover Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- To store leftovers: Wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, foil, or stored in an airtight container, this easy weeknight meal will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Leftover stuffed bell pepper casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days when kept in an airtight container. We think it tastes even better the next day!
- To reheat the casserole: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake in a 350° F oven until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of green bell peppers, try another color of sweet bell pepper. Red, orange, or yellow peppers are sweeter than green.
- The Italian sausage adds great flavor, but you can omit the sausage and replace it with an additional ½ lb. of lean ground beef if you prefer.
- Use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork instead of ground beef or Italian sausage.
- Instead of the tomato sauce and extra seasoning, substitute with about 29 ounces of jarred spaghetti sauce.
- Any good melting cheese will work in this cheesy stuffed pepper casserole recipe. In lieu of the Cheddar Jack, try mozzarella, white cheddar, Colby, or Pepper Jack cheese.
- Swap out the soy sauce and use Worcestershire sauce instead. These ingredients add a salty, umami flavor to the sauce.
- Adjust the seasonings to your tastes. We use onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Red pepper flakes would add just the right kick of heat to enhance the pepper flavor. Cumin or chili powder would add warmth to the tomato sauce.
- Any variety of rice will work. I like to use cooked white rice, but cooked wild rice, cooked brown rice, or even cauliflower rice would be delicious, too. For a shortcut, try microwaveable packets of rice like Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice.
Tips for the Best Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe
- Make sure that you purchase the large 29-ounce can of tomato sauce. You need plenty of sauce so that the casserole stays nice and moist and doesn’t dry out in the oven.
- For a shortcut, use leftover rice from the night before or a packet of microwaveable rice (like Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice).
- Garnish the finished dish with fresh herbs just before serving. They add a colorful, fresh touch!
- Bake the casserole just until it’s heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
- Divide the casserole ingredients between two 8-inch square baking dishes. Bake one now, and freeze the other for a later meal.
More Stuffed Pepper Recipes to Try
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ lb. ground Italian sausage
- ½ lb. ground beef
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 3 medium green bell peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, NOT drained
- 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar Jack cheese, or more to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a deep 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven, brown the sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain off fat.
- Stir in the bell peppers, diced tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir in the rice.
- Transfer the mixture the prepared baking dish. Top with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Make sure that you purchase the large 29-ounce can of tomato sauce. You need plenty of sauce so that the casserole stays nice and moist and doesn’t dry out in the oven.
- Garnish the finished dish with fresh herbs just before serving. They add a colorful, fresh touch!
- Bake the casserole just until it’s heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
- Divide the casserole ingredients between two 8-inch square baking dishes. Bake one now, and freeze the other for a later meal.
- Instead of green bell peppers, try another color sweet bell pepper. Red, orange, or yellow peppers are sweeter than green.
- The Italian sausage adds great flavor, but you can omit the sausage and replace it with an additional ½ lb. of lean ground beef if you prefer.
- Use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork instead of ground beef or Italian sausage.
- Instead of the tomato sauce and extra seasoning, substitute with about 29 ounces of jarred spaghetti sauce.
- Any good melting cheese will work in this cheesy stuffed pepper casserole recipe. In lieu of the Cheddar Jack, try mozzarella, white cheddar, Colby, or Pepper Jack cheese.
- Swap out the soy sauce and use Worcestershire sauce instead. These ingredients add a salty, umami flavor to the sauce.
- Adjust the seasonings to your tastes. We use onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Red pepper flakes would add just the right kick of heat to enhance the pepper flavor. Cumin or chili powder would add warmth to the tomato sauce.
- Any variety of rice will work. I like to use cooked white rice, but cooked wild rice, cooked brown rice, or even cauliflower rice would be delicious, too. For a shortcut, try microwaveable packets of rice like Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice.
