Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Hi friend,

I want to be able to use this space to share my go-to meals and favorite quick & easy recipes. I am by no means a professional in the kitchen though, so bear with me. We are starting out with THE go-to meal in our household – unstuffed bell peppers! It doesn’t require a ton of ingredients, is super easy to throw together, and gives us lots of leftovers for the rest of the week. Win, win, win! I figured this was a good place to start for my little online recipe collection. I’ve gotten lots of great feedback on it. Example A: My toddler will actually eat it. I’ve also gotten raving reviews when I’ve made it for newly postpartum friends in the past.

The Origination

Stuffed bell peppers used to be a frequent flyer on the dinner menu in our household. My college roommates will laugh at this because I never used to eat them, no matter how many times they made them. I would just enjoy the smell coming from the kitchen!

Once I came around to actually enjoying the dish, I quickly realized that it was one of those meals that are never as good once you stick it in the fridge. The bell peppers never did a great job at holding their texture or structure when I reheated them. It just ended up making the whole meal turn into a mess.

I started to think…why not just start out with the finished product instead? We cut the bell peppers up as we eat them anyways, so it’s not like it will change the taste much, right? Actually, wrong! I love unstuffed bell peppers because you get a balanced flavor with every bite. You don’t get one bite that’s 90% bell pepper and the next 90% stuffing mixture – you get the same mixture with every bite! Not to mention – an unintentional discovery, but a good one all the same – the mixture reheats so well. Unlike traditional stuffed peppers, it may even be better the second time around!

Whether it be a last minute dinner at home, meal prepping, or making freezer meals for friends – this meal hits the spot every time. It’s quickly become a staple around here. It’s also easy to prep for this recipe earlier in the day to allow yourself a quick meal to throw together for dinner. Prep your vegetables and cook your meat ahead of time, so all you have to do is pull them out of the fridge in the evening and cook everything together. Easy peasy!

Serving & More

The best thing about this recipe – you can scoop it out onto a plate and it’s ready to go as is. Sometimes I will add some more shredded cheese to the top if I’m feeling a little more cheesy that day. Another option that my husband enjoys is scooping it with tortilla chips almost like it’s a thick dip. As far as leftovers – it reheats in the microwave well! It also does good as a freezer meal if you’re looking to prep ahead for yourself or others.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do in our household!

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

My little spin on a classic dish. Enjoy the yummy taste of stuffed bell peppers with a balanced bite every time. This recipe tends to be a lot more leftover-friendly than the original version as well!

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Course: Main Course

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 bell peppers diced
• 1 sweet onion diced
• garlic minced, to taste
• 1 package Ben's Original whole grain brown rice
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups Mexican style shredded cheese
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• Italian seasoning to taste

Method

 

1. Dice the bell peppers and onion.
To save yourself some time on this step, use a vegetable chopper! It has been a life saver for me.
2. Microwave the rice per the instructions on the package. Set it off to the side once ready.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, adding a little oil.
4. Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking it into small pieces. Cook until the meat is browned, remove grease, and set meat to the side.
5. Add a little more oil to the pan if needed, then add the vegetables and garlic to the pan. Stir occasionally until cooked.
Cook until the veggies soften – onions should be translucent, peppers may have a light brown color on the edge, and your kitchen will smell amazing.
6. Once vegetables are cooked, add the meat back into the pan. Add Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir together.
7. Add the tomato paste to the veggie and meat mixture and stir occasionally until it is dissolved and fully mixed in.
8. Add the shredded cheese and pasta sauce to the pan. Mix over medium-low heat until everything is fully melted and mixed together.
I personally love garlic, so I add plenty of garlic. I typically choose a garlic & herb pasta sauce for my sauce choice too, but any kind will do!

Notes

This recipe makes a good amount of food – so you should have plenty of leftovers if you aren’t feeding a lot of mouths.