Description
These Stuffed Peppers feature tender roasted bell peppers filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, spinach, and rice, topped with melted Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese for a delicious and hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Peppers and Topping
- 6 bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (for roasting)
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
- Chopped parsley, for garnishing
Beef and Filling
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (for sautéing)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to get it ready for roasting the peppers.
- Roast the peppers: Place the halved bell peppers cut side up in a baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast for about 20 minutes until they become slightly tender.
- Sauté garlic and onion: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until they soften and become fragrant.
- Cook the ground beef: Add the ground beef to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook for 5-7 minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Add remaining filling ingredients: Stir in the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, chopped spinach, cooked rice, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the spinach wilts and all ingredients are well combined.
- Stuff the peppers: Remove the roasted bell peppers from the oven and carefully fill each half with the beef and rice mixture.
- Top with cheese: Sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese evenly over each stuffed pepper.
- Bake the stuffed peppers: Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish and serve: Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option.
- For a vegetarian version, replace ground beef with cooked lentils or plant-based crumbles.
- Try different cheeses such as mozzarella or pepper jack for varied flavors.
- Leftover stuffed peppers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.
- To reduce sodium, use no-salt-added canned tomatoes and adjust salt to taste.
