We’ve made this classic easier and faster by using the microwave to par-cook the peppers, saving you about 45 minutes of cook time! This is a great recipe to use up leftover rice. Be sure to really pile in the filling (mounding it is ok) as it will shrink as it cooks.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 large red, orange or yellow bell peppers
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 cups shredded Muenster cheese
Instructions
- If your peppers don’t sit upright on your cutting board, trim about 1/8-inch off the bottoms to even them out so they can stand without falling over. Cut the top off each pepper about 1/2-inch down. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the remaining flesh from the tops. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membranes as you can. Place the peppers in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/2 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high power for 12 minutes. Carefully uncover and let them sit until ready to assemble.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the beef in an even layer and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spoon and scraping up any browned bits from the pan until the meat is lightly browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the browned meat to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add the reserved chopped peppers, onions, garlic, thyme, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until falling apart and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until brick red colored, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook until the mixture is reduced, very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Transfer to the bowl with the beef. Stir in the rice until completely combined. (The mixture will be wet.) Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
- Place the peppers cut-side up in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spoon the filling into the peppers, gently pressing it in with the back of a spoon. Be careful not to overstuff and split the sides of the peppers. Bake for 15 minutes. Then top with the cheese and continue baking until the filling is heated through and the cheese is browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 581 |
| Total Fat | 34 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 27 g |
| Cholesterol | 90 mg |
| Sodium | 1221 mg |
Reviews
Omg. This is the Best by far! I make stuffed peppers often, but this will be my go to from now on..i used Brown rice and turkey chopped meat. Followed the rest of recipe to a T..sauce is excellent..Everyone loved it!!
I have tried this recipe at home and it’s amazing. I own Panj Taara Indian Restaurant in Hastings (https://panjtaara.co.nz/), New Zealand and gathering the food ideas so that I can offer something different to customers.
Thanks for sharing!
Excellent peppers. Followed others nuked peppers for half the time used Italian sausage and pepper jack cheese. Will do again.
Over the top in flavors!!! I love the Munster cheese, as well as the sauce. I did mix 1/2 the cheese in with the mixture and then added some on top as well. Next time I’m going to try it with the Italian sausage is suggested below.
Dear SheCook—Stuffed peppers are not a recent “invention”. Cultures all over the world have a version of stuffed peppers. Rice may be a “filler” to some people, but rice has been a staple in many cultures for hundreds of years and using rice in a stuffed pepper recipe is not unusual—-it may even be classical. Enjoy stuffed peppers any way you and your heritage dictates— but remember we are a world of many cultures and foods—let’s respect that and respect our vast and wonderful diversity.
I don’t understand the rice being in the recipe. It has no nutritional value at all, so it’s just to help ‘fill out’ the recipe? As an Italian-American who makes her stuffed peppers totally different (stuffed whole with a meatball like mixture and set down into a deep pan of homemade spaghetti sauce), I can’t wrap my head around this recipe. Not rating it because I didn’t try it but since I’m short on time, I might try it… will come back and rate if I do.
Help. Why “core” the tomatoes? And how much of the center do you take out when you core it? Thank yiou
I’ve been making and enjoying stuffed peppers for 40 years. This is the best recipe I have ever used. Outstanding flavor! As some others did, I mixed half of the cheese into the stuffing mixture and used the remainder on top at the end. Munster cheese was an excellent, flavorful, ingredient. I used a pound of Johnsonville ground sweet Italian sausage instead of hamburger, and because that sausage is already seasoned, I reduced the salt to 2 teaspoons. It was still plenty salty. As others have noted, 12 minutes is far too long to cook the peppers. I have an average power-size microwave. I cooked five large, thick-walled green peppers on high for five minutes and they were cooked but firm and able to be stuffed. After 12 they would have been mush.
The next time I make this, I will increase the amount of sauce I make by at least half, to serve on the side as a “gravy“ for the peppers. The sauce was delicious.
The next time I make this, I will increase the amount of sauce I make by at least half, to serve on the side as a “gravy“ for the peppers. The sauce was delicious.
Not a fan of cooked bell peppers but the stuffing sounds interesting. Will experiment with stuffed shells and a cheese sauce.
Too high in calories, fat & carbs, sugar & protein were good though.