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Stuffed Pepper Skillet has all the flavors of classic stuffed peppers made in one easy stovetop pan – ground beef, rice, peppers, and melty cheese ready in 35 minutes.
Traditional stuffed peppers are a classic for a reason, they’re pure comfort food. But let’s be honest, they can be a little time consuming to make. The peppers take a while to bake, plus there’s all the prep of cooking the filling and then actually filling and baking each one.
So in true Easy Dinner fashion, I am making it into an easy stove top meal. My favorite Creamy Chicken and Rice is a similar concept, of the baked version my mom used to make, but in 25 minutes on the stove top instead.
Erin’s Notes
- Everything cooks in one pan, so clean up is easy!
- Customize the recipe – use whatever peppers you like, swap in brown rice if you prefer (just increase the cook time), or use a different cheese – there are tons of options.
- A full meal in one pan. It’s loaded with veggies, rice, and meat, so it truly is a complete meal. I’ve still got some great side dish ideas below if you want to round it out.
- You could even mix up the flavors. I have Taco Stuffed Peppers on the blog, and you could use those same flavors in this stovetop version.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef – the classic stuffed pepper base. See the Variations section below for swaps.
- Bell Peppers – any color works. I like the taste of red better than green, but use whatever you have or prefer.
- Onion & Garlic – for the aromatic base of the dish.
- Beef Broth & Diced Tomatoes – these make up the saucy base that cooks the rice right in the pan.
- Worcestershire Sauce – adds a savory depth to the beef.
- Uncooked Long Grain White Rice – this recipe is built around uncooked long grain rice, which cooks right in the skillet with the broth and tomatoes. See the FAQ below if you want to use a different type.
- Italian Seasoning – an easy way to season the whole dish at once.
- Cheese – I use a mix of Mozzarella and Cheddar, but Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, or Monterey Jack are all great too.
- Salt & Pepper – to taste.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 15 oz can low sodium beef broth
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a large skillet cook the ground beef, breaking apart. Once it is mostly cooked add in the onions and bell peppers and cook for 5-10 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add the garlic to the beef mixture and cook for a minute or two, just until you can start to smell it.
- Sit in the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring half way through.
- Once the rice is tender, stir in about 1/2 of the cheese until it is melted and incorporated with the beef and rice.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top, put the lid back on the pan and let the cheese melt. If you are in a hurry, you could put your pan under the broiler (if it is oven safe) to melt it faster.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- In a large skillet cook the ground beef, breaking apart. Once it is mostly cooked add in the onions and bell peppers and cook for 5-10 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add the garlic to the beef mixture and cook for a minute or two, just until you can start to smell it.
- Sit in the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring half way through.
- Once the rice is tender, stir in about 1/2 of the cheese until it is melted and incorporated with the beef and rice.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top, put the lid back on the pan and let the cheese melt. If you are in a hurry, you could put your pan under the broiler (if it is oven safe) to melt it faster.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
What To Serve With Stuffed Pepper Casserole
This is kind of a deconstructed or unstuffed pepper casserole that has rice, beef and veggies. So it really could be a complete meal in one if you wanted. But here are a few ideas that pair well and can round out your dinner.
Storage & Freezing
This is one of those meals that just gets better over time, so I love that it makes a lot and I have lunch waiting for me the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave for a quick meal.
Freezing – Yes, you can absolutely freeze this. Store in an airtight container for 4-5 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheat in the oven for 20-30 minutes until warmed through, or microwave individual portions if you don’t have a lot.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Shortcut: use a bag of frozen chopped bell peppers from the store. Add it to the beef as directed, it’ll just take an extra minute or two to thaw as the onions cook.
- Use whatever color peppers you like. I tend to use red because I like the flavor better, but any color works it’s really personal preference.
- Mix up the ground beef. Ground turkey works great here and you won’t notice much difference. You can also make it meat-free with a meat alternative and vegetable broth – just leave out the Worcestershire sauce if you’re going vegetarian. You can also use Italian sausage for even more flavor.
- You can use brown rice instead of white. It just takes longer to cook, so keep an eye on it until it’s tender, and add a little more liquid if needed.
- The cheese is up to you. I usually use a mix of Cheddar and Mozzarella, but Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, or Monterey Jack are all great options too.
- Low Carb Version. For a low-carb version, try swapping in cauliflower rice – you’d want to cut back on the broth and shorten the simmer time since it doesn’t need to absorb liquid the way rice does.
Keep the lid on while it simmers and resist the urge to peek too often, since that lets steam escape. If the rice still needs more time, add a splash more broth, cover it back up, and keep simmering a few extra minutes.
Uncover it and let it simmer for a few more minutes to let some of the liquid cook off before you add the cheese. It should thicken up quickly.
This recipe is written for uncooked long grain white rice. Brown rice works too, but needs a longer simmer time and a bit more liquid (see the Variations section above). I don’t recommend instant/minute rice, since it cooks much faster and will turn mushy with the amount of liquid in this recipe.
This is so genius. I love stuffed peppers, but they’re such a pain to eat. This gives me everything I love and it’s so much easier. Fantastic!
Sounds fabulous ❤️ Can’t wait to make this asap!
My family would enjoy this very much! It looks and sounds incredibly delicious!
This looks insanely delicious!! I am so excited to make it this week!! YUM!
Cheesy, rich and delicious! This is exactly what I need!
This looks incredible and I bet it tastes so good!
This recipe sounds so much easier and simpler than the others I found. Thank you! I’ll be trying it for my family tonight.
Made a double batch tonight and everybody loved it. The only thing I changed was swapping out 1/2 lb of ground beef for 1/2 lb of breakfast sausage and I swapped one can of diced tomatoes for a can of Rotel. This will be a regular dish for us!