Super Simple Stuffed Peppers Recipe
If you’re anything like me, you’re busy. You want to eat healthy but don’t have tons of time to be in the kitchen (nor do you want to be). So you need simple meal ideas to throw together.
And it needs to be meals that the whole family will eat so you’re not making two separate dinners. You know…the healthy one for you and the “not-so-healthy” for everyone else. Well, I have a delicious recipe for you to try. Prepare to be amazed - this is truly one of the easiest Stuffed Peppers recipes you will ever make!!
I got this recipe from my mom. Which came from her mom, my grandma. So to me, this is a simple yet classic Stuffed Peppers meal that has worked wonders for YEARS in my family. Give it a try!
Now, everyone makes stuffed peppers differently. I’ve seen recipes that add all sorts of extra goodies like black beans, corn, cheeses, extra seasonings, etc. But let me remind you, this is meant to be a “super simple” stuffed pepper recipe. Where you only need 4 ingredients plus some salt and pepper.
My job is to help provide very busy women a way to make healthy yummy meals without needing 10+ ingredients. If you want to tweak or add anything to this recipe, go for it! But for me, the more simple it is, the less excuses I’ll have of why I can’t throw together a healthy meal.
So let’s get started!
Take 4 medium to large green peppers (or red or yellow peppers if you prefer). Cut off the tops, remove the seeds and white membrane.
Cut peppers in half giving you 8 halves to fill with the meat mixture.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the raw beef, uncooked instant rice, chopped onion, salt & pepper and 4 oz of the tomato sauce. Using a spoon or your hands, mix together.
Fill each pepper half evenly with meat mixture and place them meat side up in a non-greased 9x13 glass baking dish.
Last step is to poor 12 to 20 oz of tomato sauce over the peppers in the dish. If you don’t like a ton of sauce, use 12 oz. I personally like to spoon extra sauce over the peppers when ready to eat. So I add about 20 oz. sauce. It’s all in your preference.
Cover baking dish with foil. Bake in oven at 350˚F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you can, about half way through baking (40 minutes or so), take the foil off pan and spoon the juice over each pepper to keep them juicy and moist. Put foil back on and continue baking. You don't have to do this step, but it does help.
If you want, for the last 15 minutes you can take off the foil and continue baking. Even add cheese on top and let it melt! Enjoy!!
SUPER SIMPLE STUFFED PEPPERS RECIPE
Ingredients:
- 4 large green bell peppers (use red or yellow if you prefer)
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ cup uncooked instant white rice (use brown rice if you prefer)
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 4 oz + 12-20 oz tomato sauce, depending how much sauce you like over top
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
2. Take the peppers and cut off the tops, remove seeds, and cut in halves lengthwise.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the raw beef, uncooked rice, chopped onion, salt & pepper and 4 oz of the tomato sauce. Using a spoon or your hands, mix together.
4. Fill each pepper half evenly with meat mixture and place them meat side up in a non-greased 9x13 glass baking dish.
5. Poor 12 to 20 oz of tomato sauce over the peppers. If you don’t like a ton of sauce, use 12 oz. I personally like to spoon extra sauce over the peppers when ready to eat. So I add about 20 oz. sauce. It’s all in preference.
6. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake in oven at 350˚F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you want, for the last 15 minutes you can take off the foil and continue baking. Even add cheese on top and let it melt! Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!
Freezer Meal Idea!
This Super Simple Stuffed Peppers recipe is EXCELLENT for freezer meals!! Every year in our garden we plant green peppers. So when they are abundant and in season, you better believe it's a great opportunity to stock up on stuffed pepper meals for the freezer!
But you certainly can go buy a bunch of peppers any time of year and do this. It's truly one of the EASIEST meals and is delicious to eat during the Winter or any time of year.
To make this a freezer meal, follow the exact same steps except don't poor the extra tomato juice over top. Place halves in a freezer bag or use a FoodSavor vacuum seal machine.
Then all you have to do is just grab a package from the freezer, place the frozen halves in my 9x13 glass baking dish, poor with 12-20 oz of tomato sauce, cover with foil and bake! That's it my friends!
The only difference in this freezer meal is you'll need to add an extra 15 minutes of baking time. So bake at 350˚F for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
If you can, about half way through baking (45 minutes or so), take the foil off pan and spoon the juice over each pepper to keep them juicy and moist. Put foil back on and continue baking. You don't have to do this step, but it does help.
Let me know if you make this! Comment below if you're planning to try it!
