Easy-to-prep recipes are right up my alley, and these Italian-inspired Stuffed Peppers without Tomato Sauce are no exception. Made with savory beef, a unique blend of spices, nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, and gooey mozzarella cheese, these healthy edible vessels will soon become a family favorite.
This is an old-fashioned style recipe that would have been made by my mother and grandmother. It's a great dish to use leftover rice or an overabundance of peppers following the summer harvest.
This is a classic recipe and one I'm a huge fan of because it's an easy meal, it can be made ahead for meal prep, and, of course it's delicious.
Stuffed peppers are often served with tomato sauce, but it's okay if that's not your thing, you have a tomato allergy, or maybe you don't have any on hand. Whatever your reason for making stuffed peppers without tomato sauce, I promise you won't miss it.
There is a lot of flavor packed into this recipe, combining two different types of cheese and a super flavorful blend of spices. Don't let the simplicity of the recipe fool you.
All you need is one bowl to mix the ingredients, then you stuff the pepper halves and bake!
Forty-five minutes later, you'll have made the perfect meal the whole family will love.
Let me show you how to make this easy recipe for healthy stuffed peppers.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Here is a summary of the simple ingredients you'll need to make Stuffed Peppers without Tomato Sauce:
Ingredient Notes
- Lean ground beef: Since the beef is not pre-cooked before stuffing the peppers, lean beef is the best choice, keeping the dish lean without being greasy.
- White rice: Leftover rice is perfect for this recipe because it makes preparation even quicker. Plan ahead and make extra rice for dinner one night to have leftovers the next day. But if you don't have leftover rice, ⅓ to ½ cup long-grain rice (such as Jasmine or Basmati rice), typically yields 1 cup of cooked rice, which is the quantity you'll need for this recipe.
See the recipe card below for all the ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Peppers: If you like green bell peppers, you can substitute those for yellow, orange, or red. As a bonus, the recipe will be more economical and budget-friendly because green peppers are typically less expensive than the more colorful ones.
- Italian bread crumbs: I like Italian breadcrumbs because they are seasoned and give the dish an extra boost of flavor, but substitute plain bread crumbs if you prefer or homemade.
- Mozzarella cheese: Strong (old) cheddar cheese can be substituted for the mozzarella.
How to make Stuffed Peppers
One bowl and minimal clean-up. Let me show you how to prep this easy meal in about 15-20 minutes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Heat oven and prep peppers. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the washed peppers in half through the stem (leaving the stem intact), and remove the seeds and membrane.
Cut 'X' into peppers. Cut an 'X' into the side of each pepper (this will help drain excess liquid from the cavity of the peppers as they cook).
Add the 8 pepper halves to a 9-inch by 13-inch heat-proof baking/casserole dish.
Make meat mixture. Add all the ingredients except mozzarella and fresh parsley to a large bowl.
Mix. Mix the meat mixture with your hands or spatula until the ingredients are blended.
Assemble. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal parts and fill the cavity of each pepper.
Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven. After 45 minutes, remove the peppers from the oven.
With a meat thermometer, check that the meat has cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Additionally, insert a pairing knife into the pepper to test for doneness. The knife should easily pierce the sides of the pepper when done.
Add cheese. Top each pepper half with mozzarella cheese (about 1 tablespoon per pepper).
Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Add parsley and serve. Remove from the oven, garnish the peppers with chopped fresh parsley, and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Secrets for Success
- Pepper size: Use peppers that weigh 5.5-6.5 ounces each, for best results. Very large peppers will take longer than 45 minutes to cook. This means the beef filling will overcook and dry out.
- Cut an 'X' into each pepper half: Cut an 'X' into the side of each pepper half because this helps drain excess liquid from the cavity of the peppers.
Storage, Make Ahead & Reheating
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 days. While you can freeze the peppers for up to 3 months, I don't recommend it because they will be quite mushy after thawing.
- Make Ahead: This dish can be made ahead of time and cooked a few hours later. Keep the dish refrigerated until ready to cook, and ensure your baking dish is heat-proof and can go from a cold refrigerator to a hot oven.
- Reheat: The easiest way to reheat the peppers is in the microwave for 2-4 minutes at 80% power or in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
🌟 Recommendations for safe food handling 🌟
Recipe FAQs
My favorite side dishes include creamy mashed potatoes, a mixed green salad with a simple vinaigrette of extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar or a roasted sweet potato.
It's perfectly safe to stuff the peppers with uncooked meat because you will cook them for 45 minutes until they reach a food-safe temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
The peppers don't need pre-cooking in this recipe because the size of the pepper and the quantity of meat all cook in the same amount of time.
I have not tested other types of ground meat in this particular recipe, though they would be good substitutes. Let me know if you try it.
📖 Recipe Card
The Best Stuffed Peppers without Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- 9-inch by 13-inch heat-proof baking/casserole dish
- measuring cups and spoons
- large bowl
- spatula
- meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 (5.5-6.5 ounces each) bell peppers (yellow, orange, red or green), washed and cut in half through the stem (leaving the stem intact), seeds and membrane removed
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup white rice, cooked and cooled
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven and prep peppers. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the washed peppers in half through the stem (leaving the stem intact), and remove the seeds and membrane.4 (5.5-6.5 ounces each) bell peppers (yellow, orange, red or green)
- Cut 'X' into peppers. Cut an 'X' into the side of each pepper (this will help drain excess liquid from the cavity of the peppers as they cook). Add the 8 pepper halves to a 9-inch by 13-inch heat-proof baking/casserole dish.
- Make meat mixture. Add all the ingredients except mozzarella and fresh parsley to a large bowl.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 cup white rice, ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Mix. Mix the meat mixture with your hands or spatula until the ingredients are blended.
- Assemble. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal parts and fill the cavity of each pepper. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven. After 45 minutes, remove the peppers from the oven. With a meat thermometer, check that the meat has cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.Additionally, insert a pairing knife into the pepper to test for doneness. The knife should easily pierce the sides of the pepper when done.
- Add cheese. Top each pepper half with mozzarella cheese (about 1 tablespoon per pepper). Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted.½ cup mozzarella cheese
- Add parsley and serve. Remove from the oven, garnish the peppers with chopped fresh parsley, and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.1 tablespoon Italian flat-leaf parsley
Katie r. says
Delicious 😋
Donna Poirier says
Thank you 😊