Italian Stuffed Peppers (Super Easy!)

These Italian stuffed peppers are the ultimate family dinner. They’re made with rice, mushrooms and spinach and taste great!

Easy, simple and flavorful meals are a must around here, and so are fresh seasonal ingredients. That’s why these Italian stuffed peppers are a staple in our house!

It’s always nice to have simple meal ideas at hand that don’t come from a box. I love being able to cook a full meal with leftovers and just a few seasonal ingredients. Some of our favorite simple meals are sausage gnocchi soup, avocado caprese sandwich and shish tawook.

One of our favorite dishes to make is stuffed bell peppers with rice made Italian style. It’s an easy stuffed pepper recipe that’s ready in less than 90 minutes and tastes as if you spent half the day in the kitchen.

How to make stuffed bell peppers with ground beef

Start with the filling. The filling for these Italian stuffed bell peppers is made with ground beef, onion, rice, pasta sauce, mushrooms and spinach. You can easily use leftover cooked ground beef and cooked rice, which saves you some time as well. The filling is flavored with Italian seasoning, which gives it an earthy flavor. Once the filling is ready, it’s time to prepare the peppers.

Bring a pot of water to boil and cut the top part of the bell peppers. Save them to use later on as lids. Clean the inside of the bell peppers and steam them for about five to ten minutes. This will soften the peppers a little bit so they cook faster in the oven, which will prevent the filling from drying out.

Once the peppers are steamed, fill them with the filling and top with chopped parsley and mozzarella. Cook in the oven for almost forty minutes until the peppers are soft enough.

These stuffed sweet peppers are perfect for a family meal and they’re easily adjustable. You can make these stuffed peppers with ground turkey, sausage or chicken. Just follow the instructions and use your meat of choice instead of ground beef.

Can I make these stuffed peppers in a crock pot?

Yes! All you need to do is to follow the instructions and once you’ve stuffed all the peppers, put them in the crock pot with some pasta sauce and cook on high for about three to four hours. It’s simple and absolutely tasty.

What to serve with stuffed peppers

Stuffed peppers are usually served as a main dish and can be served with so many different sides such as seasonal and green salads, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes or baked potatoes or even just bread.

Look at that delicious filling, cooked long enough to have all the flavors incorporated, these Italian stuffed peppers are definitely a tasteful option for a nice and cozy family dinner.

Can you make stuffed peppers and freeze them?

You sure can. Make these Italian stuffed peppers by following the recipe, then freeze them in airtight containers and thaw before heating. To reheat stuffed peppers, place them in an oven safe dish and reheat in the oven at 250F for 20 to 25 minutes until they’re warm on the inside as well. Serve immediately.

Notes and tips for baked stuffed peppers recipe

• You can make these stuffed bell peppers vegetarian by omitting ground beef.
• To make stuffed peppers without rice, use couscous, quinoa or bulgur instead.
• For this Italian stuffed pepper recipe you can use store bought or homemade pasta sauce.
• Green, yellow, red or orange bell peppers can all be used in this recipe. I personally prefer yellow and red bell peppers because they are sweeter and don’t lose their shape after cooking.

5 from 5 votes

Print

Italian Stuffed Peppers

These Italian stuffed peppers are the ultimate family dinner. They're made with rice, mushrooms and spinach and are full of flavor! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword baked stuffed peppers recipe, italian stuffed peppers, italian stuffed peppers recipe, stuffed bell peppers with ground beef, stuffed bell peppers with rice, stuffed sweet peppers

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 350 kcal

Author Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 large Onion Diced
• 1/2 lb Ground Beef
• 3 cloves Garlic Minced
• 1 cup Mushrooms Sliced
• 2 cups Spinach
• 1 1/2 cup Cooked Rice See Note #1
• 1 cup Pasta Sauce See Note #2
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 6 Bell Peppers Any Color
• 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella
• 1/2 cup Chopped Parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. 

2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

3. Saute onion until golden brown, add in ground beef and brown it completely. 

4. Add in garlic and stir well. 

5. Add mushrooms and spinach. Mix well and cook until mushrooms are cooked and spinach is wilted. 

6. Add in cooked rice, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, Italian seasoning and salt. Stir and combine well. Turn the heat off. 

7. Cut the top of the bell peppers, clean out the seeds and set them aside. 

8. Bring a pot of water to boil and steam the bell peppers for almost 5 minutes. 
   

9. Fill the bell peppers with the filling, top with shredded mozzarella and parsley. Place the top part of the bell peppers on as lids. 

10. Pour the remaining pasta sauce in a baking dish and place the stuffed peppers in the dish. 

11. Cover with an aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

12. Uncover and bake for another ten to fifteen minutes until the bell peppers are soft to your preference. 

13. Serve warm. 

Recipe Notes

1. You can use leftover white rice. 
2. You can use homemade or store bought pasta sauce. 

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