Stuffed Pepper Casserole

If you love stuffed peppers but don’t have the patience to stuff each one, I have just the solution for you. This dish packs all that delicious flavor into one easy-to-assemble casserole!

This recipe is based on the stuffed peppers my mom made when I was growing up. Along with the usual rice, beef, and cheese, there’s fresh zucchini and tomatoes. I like the extra veggies, and my kids are none the wiser! As far as ground beef casseroles go, this is one I make year-round because it’s always a hit at dinnertime. Plus, it reheats beautifully so you can cook once and enjoy quick meals all week. Serve it with this perfect side salad and call it a night.

Do you have to precook the rice for stuffed pepper casserole?

No, and that’s part of what makes this so easy. This casserole is assembled using uncooked rice. Rest assured, there’s enough liquid added to cook the rice. Also, baking the casserole covered helps create perfectly fluffy grains.

What kind of rice is best for stuffed pepper casserole?

Be sure to use long-grain white rice for this recipe. Short-grain rice will cook faster and may come out gummy. Brown rice will cook more slowly and may not be fully tender when you remove the casserole from the oven.

Can you make stuffed pepper casserole ahead of time?

This casserole should be baked just after it is assembled so the rice cooks properly. If you want to work ahead, you can bake it as directed, let it cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

What’s the best way to reheat stuffed pepper casserole?

Cover the baking dish with foil and reheat it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven until hot and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.

What can you use instead of ground beef?

If you’d like to skip the red meat, you can swap in ground turkey, ground chicken, or even Italian sausage to switch things up.

How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
INGREDIENTS
Bell pepper and onion: This recipe calls for red and green bell peppers for that classic stuffed pepper flavor, but orange or yellow peppers work just fine. Cooked with yellow onion, they build a big layer of savory-sweet flavor right from the start.
Ground beef: This is the hearty backbone of the casserole. The fat in 80/20 ground beef adds lots of flavor and keeps the dish from tasting dry.
Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds a little sweetness, a little acidity, and helps everything taste like it simmered all day.
Seasonings: Kosher salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika season the casserole from the inside out. The salt wakes everything up, the cumin adds earthy warmth, the paprika brings a gentle sweet-smoky note, and the black pepper adds just enough bite. If you’re using table salt, use a little less.
Garlic: Garlic brings that bold, savory flavor that makes everything taste better. As it cooks, it mellows and blends right into the beef and veggies.
Tomatoes: Vine-ripened tomatoes add freshness, juiciness, and a bright tomato flavor that balances out the richness of the other ingredients. They also help create some of that saucy goodness the rice soaks up.
Zucchini: Sneaking in extra veggies is always a good idea. The zucchini in this recipe soaks up all those savory flavors and makes the casserole a little heartier and even tastier.
Chicken broth: Broth is what helps the rice cook right in the casserole, and it adds way more flavor than plain water ever could. Vegetable broth or even beef broth would also work.
Rice: The rice is what ties everything together and makes this a full meal. Stick with long-grain white rice for this.
Worcestershire sauce: This little ingredient does a lot of heavy lifting. It adds savory depth, a tiny bit of tang, and that hard-to-pin-down richness that makes beef dishes taste extra good.
Pepper jack cheese: Pepper jack melts into the casserole and gives it creamy richness with a little kick. monterey jack, cheddar, or mozzarella would all work if you want something milder.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Heat up some olive oil in a big skillet and toss in the onion and bell peppers. Once the veggies soften, add the ground beef, making sure to break it up as it browns. Then stir in the tomato paste, salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and garlic for lots of savory flavor.

Gordon Sawyer
Add the fresh tomatoes and zucchini and let them soften in the skillet. They release a little juice as they cook, which helps all those flavors mingle and gives the filling a little more body.

Gordon Sawyer
Stir in the chicken broth, rice, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and a cup of the pepper jack (save the rest of the cheese for topping). At this point, the mixture starts to look like a real casserole filling, and the rice will soak up all that goodness in the oven.

Gordon Sawyer
Spoon the filling into a greased baking dish and spread it into an even layer. That helps the rice cook evenly.

Gordon Sawyer
Pop the casserole in the oven for about an hour, then give it a stir and scatter the remaining cheese over the top. A quick trip under the broiler melts the cheese into a bubbly, golden topping.

Gordon Sawyer
Pull the casserole from the oven when the cheese is nice and melty. Finish it with an extra sprinkle of parsley, then let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Gordon Sawyer
A full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. ground beef (80/20)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped, plus more for sprinkling
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (about 8 oz.)
1Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with oil.
2In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the beef is cooked through and browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste, salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and zucchini and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
3Stir in the chicken broth, rice, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 cup of the cheese. Remove from heat and spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
4Bake until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the foil and stir the casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese. Increase the oven to broil.
5Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes before sprinkling with more parsley and serving.