Stuffed Pepper Casserole

This easy casserole 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.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword easy stuffed pepper casserole, stuffed bell pepper casserole, stuffed pepper casserole, undone stuffed pepper casserole

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 10

Total Time 50

Servings - 8 people

Calories 336kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

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.

Recipe Variations:

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.

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