Are you looking to learn to make the best Stuffed Peppers? This healthier stuffed bell peppers recipe uses ground chicken or turkey and whole grain rice and is topped with a melty layer of cheddar! It is super simple to make and great to share with friends and family.
Bell peppers make the perfect vessel for stuffing, especially in my household! At least once a month, my mom will make stuffed bell peppers as part of her Sunday dinner spread. This recipe is a healthier take on my mother’s tasty Italian stuffed peppers.
Ground beef is a good choice for these, but because I am not a huge fan of red meat, I prefer to use ground chicken or turkey. Use whatever meat is your family’s favorite (or whatever you have on hand!).
I like adding rice to my stuffed peppers to make them more full. For this recipe, I used a brown and wild rice blend but again, this recipe is customizable! Use white rice, brown rice, or even quinoa. If you want to make these grain-free stuffed bell peppers, use an extra 1/2 pound of ground meat and just omit it!
It’s so easy to put these together and bake them in my Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven. The oven doesn’t need to be preheated – it turns on instantly, and then it bakes in 2/3rds the time of a conventional oven. Hello, timesaver! I love kitchen hacks that accommodate my lack of planning.
To Make the Best Stuffed Peppers:
- After halving and seeding the peppers, bake them at 425º F for 15 minutes to soften.
- While the peppers are baking, make the filling by sautéing veggies and ground meat with an easy tomato sauce.
- Stuff the peppers with the mixture, and top with a slice of cheddar cheese (pretty much NOT optional!).
- Return peppers to the oven for 15 minutes.
- Serve — a complete meal all on its own!
Easily Bake Stuffed Bell Peppers Later
This recipe is another favorite of mine for meal prep. During the workweek, I am not nearly as motivated as I am on the weekend to cook an intricate meal, so I will freeze a pan of these peppers to heat in my Superheated Steam Countertop Oven to have dinner ready in 30 minutes. I love them even reheated in my countertop oven because they taste more like second helpings than leftovers, and so does my boyfriend. Plus since I started my health kick two years ago, this became my takeout replacement for a mindful meal.
As the weather cools down and summer comes to a close, I am reminded of last summer when I received my Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven. The weather was so hot, and typically, I wouldn’t have been baking — but this oven does not heat the house like a typical oven.
The Best Stuffed Peppers
Make these peppers your own by using these substitutions:
- Choose your Meat: Ground beef, turkey, or chicken work great in these.
- Make these vegetarians: Omit the ground chicken, and double the amount of rice. A handful of chopped walnuts make a tremendous meat-free addition.
- Make these Grain-Free: If you need these to accommodate a low carb, keto, or grain-free diet, omit the rice and add an extra 1/2 pound of meat. We have made these grain-free, and they are just as delicious!
- Don’t have Kale?: I love celery and Kale in these peppers to add some extra veggies. If you don’t have these on hand, omit or sub chopped carrots, broccoli, or spinach.
Other Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipes:
- 7 Layer Dip Stuffed Peppers, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Vegan Italian Stuffed Peppers, by Parsnips and Pastries
- Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, by The Almond Eater
- Philly Cheesecake Stuffed Peppers, by Cooktoria
Mindful Stuffed Peppers
A delicious mindful meal made by stuffing bell peppers with a mixture of meat, rice, and veggies simmered in a tomato sauce. Top with cheese for a family favorite!
- 3 bell peppers (any color )
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup celery (cut into small chunks)
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 lbs ground turkey or chicken or beef
- 1 cup brown rice (cooked)
- 1 cup kale (chopped)
- 1/2 cup olives (chopped)
- 2 cans crushed tomatos (15 oz each)
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- Slice and deseed peppers, and place in a baking tray.
- Bake in the Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven for 15 minutes at 425º F. If using a conventional oven, preheat the oven to 425º F and bake the peppers for 22 minutes.
- Prepare the stuffing by first adding olive oil to a skillet over medium high heat.
- Saute minced onions, garlic and celery for about 10 minutes until softened. Add the spices and salt, and then the ground meat. Break up the meat as it cooks, and simmer until the meat has evenly browned.
- Add the tomato sauce, olives, and kale, and allow to simmer together for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the stuffing to each pepper halve. Top each stuffed pepper with a slice of cheddar cheese.
- Return to the Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven to Bake/Reheat at 425º F for 15 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the cheddar is melted.
- If baking in a conventional oven, return to oven for 20-25 minutes.
- If making these in advance, stuff the peppers and top with cheddar, and then wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Since the mixture will be cold, up the baking time by 5 minutes in the Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven, or 8-10 minutes in a conventional oven.
