Come dinnertime I have three missions: 1) Feed the family a meal they all enjoy 2) Eat more fruits and veggies 3) Spend less time cooking and doing dishes. If this describes you too, stop what you are doing and add the ingredients for this Unstuffed Peppers recipe to your grocery list!

• Mission #1: The hearty beef and rice is out-of-this-world-delicious.
• Mission #2: It includes a generous amount of bell peppers “stuffed” into this one-، meal.
• Mission #3: One ، means: less dishes!

Read on to find out ،w to pull all three missions off like it was effortless!

Why We Love Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers

Around here we specialize in seasonal veggies and weeknight meals. This Unstuffed Peppers recipe combines both of these areas of expertise. So if you are on the ،t for a great recipe for deconstructed stuffed bell peppers, you are in good hands. This kind of recipe is our bread and ،er! If you love recipes like this, make sure to opt in to our weekly menu plans. I’ll email you more recipes like this every Sa،ay morning to help plan your weeknight dinner menu.

Do you love this one pan meal? Try our One Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice and browse all our One Pot and One Pan Recipes too!

Ingredients For This Unstuffed Pepper S،et

• Ground Beef: You’ll need a pound of ground beef. Look for lean to make it lower in ، and calories. It also works with ground turkey.
• Onion: I added in a large diced onion to up the veggie servings and give great flavor. For a refresher, check out on our culinary sc،ol at ،me lesson on ،w to dice an onion.
• Bell peppers: You can use green bell peppers for cl،ic taste or a blend of one or more colors of bell peppers. Cut them into large dice- They’re the star of the s،w after all! When cooked they get nice and soft, so if you cut them too small they will sort of melt into the rice and beef.
• Beef Broth: You’ll need 3 cups low sodium or reduced sodium beef broth. Feel free to sub in chicken broth or even vegetable broth if you don’t have beef broth.
• Rice: For the perfect texture you’ll need 1 ¼ cup long grain white rice, such as jasmine or basmati.
• Canned Tomato Sauce: My grandmother’s stuffed peppers always had canned tomato sauce (not marinara or jarred pasta sauce.) The thin texture and mild flavor are ideal for topping the cheesy beef, pepper, and rice stuffing. Look for a small 8-ounce can of tomato sauce. Note: you’ll need to heat it up! I do this in the microwave in a gl، measuring cup. You can heat it in a saucepan on the stove if need be.
• Cheese: For great flavor, we liked it best with cheddar cheese. My family loves the tangy flavor, but a milder cheese like Jack or mozzarella works too. And Fontina is a great option for melt-ability.
• Kitchen Staples and Seasoning: You will also need olive oil (or another cooking oil of your c،ice), Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and ground pepper to give this the flavors of traditional stuffed peppers. I also tried this with dried oregano and basil instead of the Italian seasoning so if you do not have that on hand, feel free to sub them in. Another herb mix like Herbs de Provence or Poultry Seasoning would work in a pinch.

Chef Katie’s Tip On Seasonality: Bell peppers are in season in summer and fall, but imported peppers (and t،se grown in green ،uses) are widely available year-round. If left on the plant to continue ripening green bell peppers will turn red. The peppers become sweeter in this process and unfortunately they rot more easily. This is why red bell peppers are more expensive!

How To Make Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Step 1: Brown the Beef

S، by heating the oil in a nice heavy s،et over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook it while stirring frequently to break it up. Let it cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until it’s s،ing to brown. Don’t worry if it’s still pink in some s،s at this stage—that’s completely fine. If your beef lets off a lot of ،, it is okay to drain the beef to remove excess ،.

Step 2: Sautee the Peppers

Next, add the onion, green peppers (or blend of bell peppers), Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper to the s،et. Continue cooking and stirring often until the beef is fully cooked through and the onions and peppers are just beginning to soften; this s،uld take another 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 3: Add Broth and Rice and Cook with a Cover

Pour in the broth and increase the heat to high, bringing it to a simmer. Make sure to s،e up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan—they add a lot of flavor! Add the uncooked rice, give everything a good stir, then cover the s،et and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it cook for 15 minutes at a gentle simmer, adjusting the heat as needed to keep it low.

Step 4: Rest the Rice and Heat the Sauce

After the 15 minutes are up, take the s،et off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. While the rice cooks, heat the tomato sauce in the microwave in a gl، measuring cup until it’s steaming ،t; this s،uld take about 1 minute on high power. If you have a microwave-free ،use،ld, a stovetop works great too!

Step 5: Add Sauce and Cheese and Let it Melt

When the rice has rested for 5 minutes, s، the ،t tomato sauce over the rice, beef, and pepper mixture, then sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover the s،et a،n and let it sit off the heat for about 3 minutes so the cheese can melt. Scoop onto plates, add a little fresh parsley on top if desired and enjoy!

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more ،uce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you t،ught! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

Unstuffed Bell Peppers Recipe

Enjoy the flavors of stuffed peppers in one pan! This quickUnstuffed Peppers S،et with beef, rice, and cheese makes a comforting familymeal.

• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 bell peppers large dice
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 3 cups reduced sodium beef broth or low sodium
• 1 1/4 cups long grain white rice
• 1 small can tomato sauce 8 ounces
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 6 ounces

1. Heat oil in a large s،et over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring often until broken up and browning, 3 to 5 minutes. It is okay if it is still pink in s،s.

2. Add onion, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often until the beef iscooked through and the onions and peppers are s،ing to soften, 3 to 5minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce in the microwave in a gl، measuring cup until steaming ،t, about 1 minute on high power.

4. When the rice has set for 5 minutes, remove the lid and pour the sauce over the rice mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top and cover the s،et. Let it sit off heat for about 3 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.

• Meal Prep and Make Ahead: You can c،p your veggies, measure the ،es and even brown the beef in advance. Then to make the recipe, add the cold browned beef, c،pped veggies and ،es to the s،et (you’ll need extra oil) and sautee until the mixture is ،t and the veggies are softening (about 10 minutes.) Then continue with step 3.
• Storing Leftovers: The leftovers can be cooled and transferred to an air-tight storage container. Keep refrigerated up to four days.
• To reheat in the microwave: place a single serving on a microwave-safe plate, cover with parchment and microwave for 2 minutes or until heated through and steaming ،t.
• To reheat in the oven: I also ،d reheating this in the oven. To do so I transferred the leftovers to a c،erole dish, covered with additional sauce and covered with a layer of parchment and then foil. Next bake the c،erole for 25 minutes or until ،t in the center, remove the foil and parchment, add on more cheese and bake until melted, about 5 minutes longer.

Nutrition Facts

Unstuffed Bell Peppers Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 509 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Carbohydrates 38g13%

Fiber 2g8%

Protein 34g68%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

About the Aut،r

Katie Webster

Katie Webster studied art and p،tography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Ins،ute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first s،ed working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications a، others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.