Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole – this deconstructed stuffed pepper recipe is a cheap and easy dinner that won’t break the budget!
Austin and I cook dinner 5-6 nights per week so I’m always looking for ways to spice up old recipes. One of my favorite comfort meals is stuffed peppers. Stuffed peppers are so versatile; you can fill them with nearly any flavor or combination of a meat and a starch.
I grew up eating a traditional version of stuffed peppers made with white rice, beef, tomatoes and cheese. But, I always feel like the ratio is a little off. Do you know what I mean? There’s usually too much bell pepper and not enough MEAT [pretty sure my meat lover is grinning as he reads this]. Not to mention, I always find making them to be a chore.
That’s why I created this deconstructed version: Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole.
Boom. Pepper to beef ratio FIXED. Exhausting stuffing process GONE. All that’s left is a hearty, flavorful casserole recipe that is easy to make and that will please the whole family.
A Budget Friendly Dinner
One of the best things about this dish is how cheap it is. Aforementioned meat lover and I are saving HARD CORE right now. I hope to share more on that soon 😉 One of the things we are looking at is our grocery bill. Holy cow! Between us friends, running a food blog is freaking expensive.
Well, that got me thinking about all of you. I think we all feel the pinch of the purse strings every now and then so I am going to start incorporating more budget-friendly dinner recipes into my posts. Hopefully some of you will find this helpful. I even created a new category under the “recipes” tab on the main menu above. This will start populating very soon.
Some other budget-friendly recipes to get you started are: Easy Cajun Jambalaya Pasta and Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Enjoy!
Kelsey Renee
Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion
- 1 cup white rice (uncooked)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
- 2 green bell peppers (diced into ½ inch pieces)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1- 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes (drain excess liquid)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- 1. Prepare rice according to package directions. Do not overcook.
- 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 3. Meanwhile, grease a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
- 4. In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until translucent.
- 5. Add ground beef to skillet. Sauté until fully cooked and no red remains.
- 6. Add bell pepper. Sauté until pepper start to soften (about 3 minutes).
- 7. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil.
- 8. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in cooked rice.
- 9. Immediately pour mixture into prepared casserole dish.
- 10. Top with shredded cheese.
- 11. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
- 12. Enjoy immediately!
Pin this Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole Recipe for later
Shelley shores
What can you serve with this?
21 . Apr . 2018Kelsey Renee
Hi Shelley, I usually serve it with a simple caesar salad. It’s a pretty filling casserole so you don’t need much!
23 . Apr . 2018xoxlaurelei
Hi Kelsey, just stumbled across your blog cruising pinterest for yummy things. Love stuffed peppers, can’t wait to try this. I’m also a North Fl resident. Howdy neighbor!
27 . Apr . 2018Kelsey Renee
Awesome! Let me know what you think!
01 . May . 2018Jennifer Sybert
This is so easy and delicious!!! My favorite kind of recipe! Thank you so much!
14 . May . 2018Kelsey Renee
Thank you Jennifer! Glad you enjoyed it!
15 . May . 2018Rebecca
Hello! Do you have any vegan alternatives to the beef you would recommend? Lentils, quinoa, baked crumbled tofu??
13 . Jun . 2018Kelsey Renee
Good question. I don’t cook with tofu very much so I can’t comment on that. But I think lentils or even finely chopped portobello mushrooms would work great! I wouldn’t substitute quinoa just because there is already a grain (rice).
13 . Jun . 2018Connie
This looks great! Do you think it would freeze well (uncooked except for the ground beef)?
17 . Jun . 2018Kelsey Renee
Hi Connie. Great question. I think it would freeze well – undercook the rice a bit but prepare everything else according to the directions. Freeze in an airtight container. Then, when you’re ready to eat, I would let the casserole thaw completely, stir in a little chicken broth if it’s dry, then add the cheese. Bake as directed. Let me know if you try it!
17 . Jun . 2018Marilyn
I just made this for dinner tonight and it is a keeper!! It is better than my regular stuffed pepper recipe and so much easier. I wouldn’t change anything, bc I don’t believe it could be any better!!
22 . Jun . 2018THANK YOU!!!!!!!!’
Kelsey Renee
Thank you! I am so glad you liked it!
23 . Jun . 2018Cindy
Fabulous! Hubby likes bell peppers as a flavoring ingredient, but a traditional stuffed bell pepper half? He says, “that’s way too much pepper!” Can’t wait to try this. I think we’ll all love it!
23 . Jun . 2018OneCaringMom
I love stuffed peppers so I can not wait to try this! Casseroles are the best. It seems that we are always trying to save hard core – some months it works so much better than others – so this recipe will fit perfectly for our budget!
01 . Jul . 2018Kelsey Renee
I’m so glad it will work for you! Enjoy!
02 . Jul . 2018Tess
Trying this tonight. However, a few questions. Diced tomatoes drained or undrained? Baked covered or uncovered? I’m gonna go with my gut but I think these details would be a worthy inclusion to the instructions! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
21 . Jul . 2018Kelsey Renee
Sure – good questions. I drain the tomatoes and bake uncovered. Hope you enjoy!
21 . Jul . 2018Kala
This was a huge hit at our house! Delicious! Thank you!
28 . Jul . 2018Kelsey Renee
Thank YOU! Glad you enjoyed!
30 . Jul . 2018Cheri
I made this for dinner. My kids went nuts and ate almost the whole pan. Thank you!
29 . Jul . 2018Kelsey Renee
I am so glad you all liked it! Thank you for sharing!
30 . Jul . 2018Annemarie
Yummm!!! I love a good stuffed pepper but days like today I didn’t have the time to babysit something in a skillet. This is in the oven right now, we are excited to try it. It smelt so good as it was being prepped!
13 . Aug . 2018Kelsey Renee
Hope you enjoyed it!
22 . Aug . 2018Celie
I made it last night to share with dad and took the rest to church. Everyone, myself included, really enjoyed a tasty lunch. Thank you for a great recipe.
22 . Aug . 2018Kelsey Renee
So glad you all enjoyed it, Celie!
28 . Aug . 2018Molly Boone
If I wanted to use brown rice instead, would I follow the same recipe or would I have to tweak it a bit?
03 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
I would undercook the brown rice just a smidge (2-3 minutes) so it doesn’t get mushy when you bake it. Hope it turns out great!
03 . Sep . 2018Paula
Made this for dinner tonight, I am usually not a fan of stuffed peppers but loved this! I did make one change. I used a can and a half of rotel in place of the diced tomato. I will be making,this again!
05 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
Love the substitution! Yum!
06 . Sep . 2018KjB100
I usually make whole stuffed peppers. I have to cut them up to put in hubby’s lunch. So this is a perfect recipe! Made it today and it was yummy!!!
06 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
Perfect! So glad you liked it!
06 . Sep . 2018Sandie.
Oh my how fantastic!!! I was able to find a great use for my plethora of tomatoes. I also used spanish rice cooked in chicken broth, and I used some sofrita sauce instead of all tomato paste. Its awesome! Thanks for the recipe.
08 . Sep . 2018Barbara
Such an easier way of fixing stuffed peppers, all you need is a fork! Very good recipe, its a keeper for sure.
09 . Sep . 2018Melissa
Do you think cauliflower rice would work or get too mushy. I am trying to cut down on carbs
10 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it BUT I would recommend using frozen cauliflower rice (personally I think it seems to have less water in it). I would microwave it about a minute less than it calls for, remove excess liquid then mix it in. Let me know how it turns out for you!
10 . Sep . 2018Mollie
Do you have a slow cooker version of this?
17 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
I do not at this time. Sorry!
18 . Sep . 2018Suzanne
Just tried this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Both my roommate and I really liked it.
P.S. I’m also a North Florida girl and Go Gators!
17 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
Yay I’m so glad you guys liked it! And go Gators!
18 . Sep . 2018Kerry Sponberg
Made this last night and it was delicious! I used red peppers for a sweeter and spicy taste. It was even better tonight for leftovers. Thanks for a quick and easy but most important tasty dinner!
19 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
Yay! So glad you liked it! Red peppers sound delish!
19 . Sep . 2018Misty
Do you drain the hamburger grease?
19 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
I use a lean ground beef so I do not. But yes, I would drain if there is a lot of grease. Thanks for the question. I will update the recipe.
19 . Sep . 2018Terry A Wolford
How much rice is 1 cup cooked. I want to use instant rice.
21 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
Hi Terry! Generally, one cup of uncooked rice will yield 3 cups cooked. I recommend making 1.5 cups of instant rice.
21 . Sep . 2018Alexandra
Stumbled upon your recipe, and I must say it looks delicious. Quick question though. What can I substitute the rice with? Someone in my family is pre-diabetic
P.S Go Gators!!
26 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
Hi! Glad you stopped by 😉 some readers have used cauliflower rice in this recipe – could be worth a try!
27 . Sep . 2018Jane
so you add about 3 cups of cooked rice ?
27 . Sep . 2018Kelsey Renee
Yes
27 . Sep . 2018Rosanne Maranto Levenson
I make my stuffed peppers with Italian sausage instead of ground beef. Will try the casserole with the same
09 . Oct . 2018Kelsey Renee
sounds fantastic!
11 . Oct . 2018Stacey Burd
Are you not supposed to drain the grease from the hamburger?
05 . Nov . 2018Kelsey Renee
Yes, if there is a lot of grease you should drain it.
05 . Nov . 2018Vicki Johnson
My husband doesn’t eat red meat, so I used ground turkey to make the casserole. It was very tasty and reheated really well.
07 . Dec . 2018Kelsey Renee
Yay! Sounds yummy!
07 . Dec . 2018Sheila
Made this for dinner the other night and the whole family LOVED it! It was even better than expected and the left overs were just as good
13 . Dec . 2018Carrie
Just made this for dinner! It was fantastic
15 . Jan . 2019Kelsey Renee
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s definitely a keeper!
16 . Jan . 2019Kathleen.
Has anyone tried making it in the morning and leaving in the refrigerator until dinner?
24 . Mar . 2019Kelsey Renee
Hey Kathleen, I think that will work fine. If you’re worried about the rice getting soggy, prepare the meat and pepper mixture and keep in a separate container from the rice. Then when you’re ready for dinner, combine the meat mixture & rice, spread in a casserole dish, top with cheese and bake.
24 . Mar . 2019Dessie
I made this a couple nights ago the night before and put in fridge, (put it all in a casserole dish) heated up the next night and it was so good… Instead of using rice I used cauliflower rice which was amazing…
07 . Apr . 2019Trinity
Would this be okay to prepare according to directions- leave in the fridge and bake about 2 or so hours later?
24 . Apr . 2019Kelsey Renee
Yep! That should work just fine!
24 . Apr . 2019Mary
Hi Kelsey, I just found out that I am diabetic and when I was searching for quick and easy diabetic meal recipes this came up in the recipes. I love stuffed peppers so does my boyfriend who is going to suffer and eat what I do since I do the cooking so I am looking for recipes that will fit both my sick body and his taste buds.
19 . Jul . 2019Marci Covington
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I found it a little dry and that may be because I used ground Sirloin. When I make it next, I’ll not drain the Tomatoes and that should make a difference.
Thank you for inspiring me to branch outside my comfort zone. My husband appreciates you as well.
25 . Jul . 2019Miranda
I’ve made this a few times and my husband and I always love it. We add sliced mushrooms to it and it is so good! I ate a similar version of this growing up but it was always way more liquidy and I never really liked it. This is so flavorful and delicious!
31 . Aug . 2019Stuffed Peppers Casserole – Household Warriors
[…] was scrolling through Pinterest awhile back and I came across this recipe from Blue Cheese Bungalow. It looked simple and had a lot of great comments. Looked like I had found the perfect […]
06 . Sep . 2019Lauren
Would this be good with red or orange bell peppers instead?
31 . Oct . 2019Kelsey Renee
Absolutely. Red bell peppers are just mature green peppers believe it or not. They’ll work perfectly.
01 . Nov . 2019Kim
Made this tonight. It was a huge hit with my family. I loved that it was easier than actual stuffed peppers but tasted just as good. Thank you for sharing!
19 . Nov . 2019