Fans of one-pan weeknight dinners like Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls and Walking Taco Bake will want this one in the rotation.
The golden, bubbling layer of broiled cheddar over a pan of tomato-soaked rice and tender bell pepper pieces — that’s the moment Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole delivers every time. The rice cooks directly in the broth and tomatoes alongside the ground meat, soaking up garlic, cumin, paprika, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire as it simmers. By the time the lid comes off for the cheese, the whole skillet smells like a dish that took far longer than it did. What hits the table is a deeply seasoned meal where the rice, vegetables, and meat all carry the same flavor through and through.
It moves easily between a regular weeknight table and a larger gathering — several readers have made it as both a family dinner and a potluck dish. The only moment the oven gets involved is at the very end: the skillet goes under the broiler for 1–2 minutes to turn the cheddar golden and bubbly. One ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven handles everything else, so cleanup stays minimal. It also reheats well, which makes it a practical choice for meal prep — leftovers from a Sunday dinner can carry you through the week.
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Reader Love
Good flavor and well seasoned. I used a big bag of frozen mixed peppers and onions for minimal prep and it worked great! My basmati rice took 35 minutes total to cook.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- One pan, start to finish — the meat browns in it, the peppers and onion soften in it, the rice simmers in it, and then the whole skillet goes under the broiler for the cheese. One pan to wash at the end.
- 45 minutes total — active prep is minimal; once the meat is browned and the vegetables are in, the recipe mostly runs itself while the rice simmers covered on low heat.
- Serves 8 — makes a generous amount that works for a family dinner and reheats well throughout the week, making it a strong choice for meal prep alongside fresh weeknight dinners.
- Three protein options — ground beef, ground turkey, and ground Italian sausage are all listed in the recipe; the sausage version brings extra seasoning depth on its own since it carries its own Italian spices.
- No pre-cooking the rice — uncooked white rice or jasmine rice goes straight into the skillet and cooks in the seasoned broth and tomatoes, picking up all that flavor without any extra steps or dishes.
- Built-in seasoning depth — garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cumin, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce all go in together and run through the entire dish as it simmers, so every spoonful is well seasoned.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this recipe
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Brown Ground Meat: In a large ovenproof skillet (like a Dutch Oven) over medium-high heat, brown the ground meat. (You do not need to drain the excess fat after browning.)
- Add Vegetables: Add chopped onion and bell peppers to skillet, stir, then sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add Additional Ingredients: Add in and stir together diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add Rice and Broth: Stir in the uncooked rice, making sure it’s evenly distributed in the skillet, then pour in the chicken broth.
- Add Seasonings: Season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Stir to combine.
- Boil then Simmer: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Scrape Bottom of Skillet then Cook Again: Remove the lid, scrape up any rice that has stuck to the skillet, then cover it again and simmer until the rice is fully cooked, about an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove Pot from Stovetop Burner: Remove pot from stovetop heat (it’s OK if there is still some liquid in the pot). Carefully taste then adjust the seasoning based on your preferences.
- Add Cheese then Broil: Turn on the oven broiler, then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. Transfer the pot to the oven under the oven broiler and broil until the cheese is golden and bubbling, about 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish the dish with fresh parsley, then serve.
👉 Easy ingredient swaps
- Meat: Ground beef, ground turkey, or ground Italian sausage all work — the recipe lists all three. You do not need to drain the fat after browning; the recipe is built to cook with it. The sausage version brings extra seasoning depth on its own, while ground turkey is leaner. The tomatoes and broth keep the dish moist regardless of which protein you choose.
- Bell peppers: Any color works. Green peppers are slightly more bitter; red and yellow are sweeter. One reader used a bag of frozen mixed peppers and onions in place of fresh and found it worked great with minimal prep.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Fresh chopped tomatoes can stand in for canned if you have them on hand.
- Tomato sauce: Crushed tomatoes or tomato paste diluted with water are both solid substitutes.
- Worcestershire sauce: Soy sauce can work as an alternative.
- Rice: White rice and jasmine rice both cook through on the standard 25-minute simmer. If you use basmati, plan for a longer cook — one reader reported needing about 35 minutes of total simmering time for it to finish. Quinoa or couscous can also be used for a different grain choice.
- Broth: Chicken broth and vegetable broth are both listed in the recipe. Beef broth or water with a bouillon cube also work.
- Shredded cheese: Mozzarella gives a milder, stretchier top and worked well for one reader who swapped it in. Pepper jack adds heat. Either goes straight onto the skillet before broiling just like the cheddar.
✨ Variations
- Stir in red pepper flakes or finely diced jalapeños with the seasonings if you want more heat distributed throughout the whole dish.
- Add a drained can of black beans and a cup of corn kernels when you add the tomatoes for more texture, color, and bulk.
- Use more than one color of bell pepper — red, yellow, orange, and green each bring slightly different levels of sweetness and make the finished dish more colorful in the bowl.
- Scoop leftovers into flour tortillas for quick wraps the next day — add sour cream or hot sauce to taste.
〰️ How to serve
- This is a complete one-dish meal — protein, vegetables, and grain are all together — so it serves well straight from the skillet with nothing else required.
- For a lighter side, a simple green salad or a scoop of Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice pairs well alongside.
- If you want a fuller spread, Honey Butter Skillet Cornbread is a natural fit and rounds out the meal.
- Scoop into flour tortillas with sour cream for easy wraps — this works especially well with leftovers.
💬 FAQs
Do you cook the rice before adding it to stuffed bell pepper casserole?
No — one cup of uncooked rice goes straight into the skillet. It cooks in the broth and tomatoes during the simmer, absorbing the seasoned liquid as it goes. White rice and jasmine rice both work on the standard 25-minute simmer (15 minutes covered, then scraping the bottom of the pan and simmering for about 10 more minutes). If you use basmati, plan for a longer cook — one reader reported needing about 35 minutes of total simmering time for it to cook through fully.
Does this casserole go in the oven?
Only at the very end, and only under the broiler. The entire dish builds and cooks on the stovetop — browning the meat, softening the vegetables, and simmering the rice in the broth and tomatoes. The skillet goes under the broiler for 1–2 minutes at the end just to get the cheddar golden and bubbling. Your pan needs to be ovenproof for that final step; a Dutch oven works well here.
How do you know when the rice is fully cooked?
After the first 15-minute covered simmer, lift the lid and scrape up any rice that has stuck to the bottom of the pan — this keeps it from burning and helps the rest of the rice finish cooking evenly. Cover again and simmer for about 10 more minutes. The rice should be fully tender and most of the liquid absorbed. If there is still some liquid in the pot when you pull it from the heat, that is fine — the recipe notes this is expected, and the rice will continue to absorb as the dish rests. Taste before serving and adjust the salt and seasonings to your preference.
How do you store and reheat stuffed bell pepper casserole, and can it be frozen?
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. To reheat, place in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and warm in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes; or reheat in the microwave in 45-second increments until heated through. To freeze, let the casserole cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, ground turkey, or ground Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 bell peppers, any color, chopped
- 1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup uncooked rice (white rice or jasmine rice)
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Optional Garnish:
- Finely-chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Brown Ground Meat: In a large ovenproof skillet (like a Dutch Oven) over medium-high heat, brown the ground meat. (You do not need to drain the excess fat after browning.)
- Add Vegetables: Add chopped onion and bell peppers to skillet, stir, then sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add Additional Ingredients: Add in and stir together diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add Rice and Broth: Stir in uncooked rice, making sure it’s evenly distributed in the skillet, then pour in chicken broth.
- Add Seasonings: Season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Stir to combine.
- Boil then Simmer: Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover skillet with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Scrape Bottom of Skillet then Cook Again: Remove lid, scrape up any rice that has stuck to the skillet, then cover again and simmer until rice is fully cooked, about an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove Pot from Stovetop Burner: Remove pot from stovetop heat (it’s OK if there is still some liquid in the pot). Carefully taste then adjust seasoning based on your preferences.
- Add Cheese then Broil: Turn on oven broiler, then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. Transfer pot to oven under oven broiler and broil until cheese is golden and bubbling, about 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley, then serve.
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