This Stuffed Pepper Casserole is filled with rice, ground beef, tomato sauce and melty cheese, and is a delicious option for an easy dinner!
It has all the flavor of baked stuffed bell peppers without all the extra work. Just combine the hearty ingredients in a casserole dish and bake!
Another name for this recipe is Unstuffed pepper casserole, which is an accurate description. To me it's an easy version of stuffed peppers that is easier to serve.
It's an all-in-one meal that's perfect for busy weeknights and will quickly become a family favorite.
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If you like the traditional stuffed peppers try our Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers and these Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers.
Since this casserole is made with ground beef, rice, and vegetables, it’s a full meal in one pan. That means there’s no need to prepare anything extra to go along with your dinner if you don’t want to!
But if you like to have a little something extra on the side, we like to serve it with these Buttery Homemade Dinner Rolls or this Homemade Bread. And a side of these Southern Green Beans would be a great addition.
Ingredients To Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
This unstuffed pepper casserole is packed with flavor. But that doesn’t mean you need a ton of ingredients to prepare it.
In fact, you can whip up this quick and easy dinner with just a handful of ingredients!
See printable recipe card below for all ingredients, specific measurements, and complete instructions.
To make stuffed pepper casserole, you’ll need:
- White rice, cooked
- Ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Green bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Tomato sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
How To Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
You’re going to love just how simple this cheesy casserole is to make! That’s because all you have to do is prep the ingredients and pop it in the oven.
Start by getting all your vegetables ready to cook. Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, and dice the green and red bell pepper.
Once your vegetables are ready, cook the ground beef in a large skillet with the peppers, onions and garlic. Continue cooking until the meat is browned and crumbly and the peppers are tender.
When the beef is cooked through, add the rice, Italian seasoning, and tomato sauce to the pan. Stir to mix all the ingredients together. Then add the cheese and stir one more time until the cheese is fully combined.
After everything is mixed together transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish and top it with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake the pepper casserole in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, until the sauce begins to bubble and the cheese on top is melted.
Substitutions and Variations
Once your family tries this simple casserole it’s going to be your new favorite dinner to make! And since it’s so easy to customize, you can prepare a delicious dinner that you know your family will love.
Try these simple substitution ideas to create a unique meal every time you make stuffed pepper casserole.
- Use different meat. Ground beef is a quick and easy option for this delicious dinner. But there are a variety of other meats you could mix into your casserole, including ground turkey, shredded chicken, or shredded beef.
- Add more vegetables. This easy dinner is perfect for families because it’s a full meal all in one pan. And that means you can easily add more vegetables to the meal. Try mixing in some zucchini, corn, spinach, green beans, diced tomatoes, or mushrooms.
- Use any type of rice. White rice is a great option for this baked casserole, but any type of rice would work. In addition to long grain white rice, you could also use jasmine rice or balsamic rice.
How To Make Ahead, Store And Freeze
This simple casserole is a great option for meal prepping because it can easily be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to bake it.
Make Ahead: To prepare this casserole ahead of time, chop your bell peppers and onion and cook with the ground beef. Once ground beef is browned and cooked through allow to cool then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cook your rice and store in a separate container in the refrigerator. Then when ready to bake follow the directions to finish the casserole.
Store Leftovers: If you have a few leftovers, simply transfer them to an airtight container. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or in a 350 degree oven until heated through.
How To Freeze: To freeze the casserole, cover the dish with foil and wrap it in plastic wrap to protect it from freezer burn. When stored properly, you can keep the casserole in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Reheating the casserole is also easy! Make sure to allow the frozen dish to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then you can bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for around 40 minutes, until the center is warm and the cheese on top is melted.
Need some more easy delicious casserole recipes? We've got a few more you might like to try!
- Chicken Tortilla Casserole
- Chicken And Noodle Casserole
- Tater Tot Casserole With Ground Beef
- Beef And Noodle Casserole
- Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. Since the rice is cooked before adding it to the casserole dish, brown rice will work in this recipe.
Italian sausage is delicious in this casserole. You could also use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. Ground turkey or chicken would also work.
Here are a few helpful kitchen items to make this recipe. (Affiliate links). Equipment Needed:
- Large Skillet like this All-Clad Sauté Pan.
- Casserole Dish
- Meat Chopper
- Silicone Spatula
I hope you enjoy this easy Stuffed Pepper Casserole! If you try this recipe, please come back and rate it and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you!
Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups white rice, cooked
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with the onion, bell peppers, and garlic.
- When the meat is cooked through, stir in the rice, Italian seasoning, tomato sauce and half the cheese. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavors to combine.
- Spread the mixture in a baking dish and top with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese on top is melted.