This is the recipe your grandma made, the one that showed up in every church cookbook from the 1960s to today. Bell peppers stuffed with seasoned ground beef, rice, and tomato sauce, baked until tender and topped with melted cheese. It's retro, it's comforting, and it's exactly what you want on a Tuesday night when you need something that feels like a hug. The kind of recipe where everyone gets their own pepper, and there's always a debate over who gets the green ones versus the red ones.
Ingredients
6 large bell peppers (any color—red, yellow, orange, or green)
1½ lbs ground beef (80/20 blend)
1 cup white rice, cooked (about 3 cups cooked rice)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Prep the Peppers: Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove seeds and membranes. If needed, slice a tiny bit off the bottom so they stand upright (but don't cut through). Arrange peppers standing up in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Brown the Beef: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through (about 7-8 minutes). Drain excess fat if needed.
Cook the Aromatics: Add diced onion to the beef and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Make the Filling: Stir in the cooked rice, 1 cup of the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes until everything is heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
Make the Sauce: In a bowl, combine the remaining crushed tomatoes with the tomato sauce. Pour about half of this sauce into the bottom of the baking dish around the peppers (not in them).
Stuff the Peppers: Spoon the beef and rice mixture into each pepper, packing it down gently and mounding it slightly on top. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top of each stuffed pepper.
Bake Covered: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the peppers are tender.
Add Cheese & Finish: Remove foil and top each pepper with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese. Return to oven uncovered and bake for another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Josh's Notes
Color Choice: Green peppers have a more assertive, slightly bitter flavor. Red, yellow, and orange peppers are sweeter and milder. Mix colors for a prettier presentation.
Rice Shortcut: Use leftover rice or microwave rice to save time. Just make sure it's already cooked before mixing into the filling.
Make Ahead: Stuff the peppers completely and refrigerate (unbaked) up to 24 hours ahead. Add 10 minutes to covered baking time.
Freezer Friendly: Stuff the peppers, wrap individually in plastic wrap and foil, freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 20-25 minutes to covered baking time.
Vegetarian Version: Substitute ground beef with black beans, pinto beans, or a meat substitute. Add extra veggies like diced zucchini or mushrooms.
Leftover Love: These reheat beautifully in the microwave. Cover with a damp paper towel to keep them moist.
Standing Tip: If your peppers won't stand upright, place them in muffin tins or use crumpled foil around the base to prop them up.