3 min read

Cheesy Ground Beef Stuffed Bell Peppers

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 40 minutes  |  Servings: 4

Stuffed peppers are one of the most satisfying things you can make with a pound of ground beef — filling enough for a full meal, easy to prep ahead, and the kind of recipe that gets better as a leftover. We use PCBC ground beef for the filling, which holds together well, seasons evenly, and gives every bite real beef flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb PCBC ground beef
  • 4 large bell peppers (any color), tops sliced off and seeds removed
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1.5 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, divided
  • Fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Brown the beef. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the ground beef until browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks — 6–7 minutes. Drain excess fat.
  3. Make the filling. Add diced tomatoes, cooked rice, beef broth, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the beef. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and mix in.
  4. Stuff the peppers. Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish. Pack the beef filling firmly into each pepper, mounding it slightly over the top.
  5. Bake covered. Add a splash of water or beef broth to the bottom of the baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
  6. Add cheese and finish. Remove the foil. Top each pepper with the remaining shredded cheese. Return to the oven uncovered for 8–10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  7. Rest and serve. Let the peppers rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Tips

  • Softer peppers: If you prefer a very soft pepper, parboil them in salted water for 3–4 minutes before stuffing.
  • Prep ahead: Assemble the stuffed peppers up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate unbaked. Add 10 minutes to the covered bake time if going straight from cold.
  • Freeze it: Stuff and freeze before baking. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. Great for batch cooking.
  • Swap the rice: Cooked quinoa, cauliflower rice, or orzo all work in place of white rice.
  • Ground beef from our Ground Beef collection is the backbone of this recipe — fresh, never frozen, and processed at our USDA-inspected facility in Springtown, TX.