Recipe: Easy Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are one of my favorite comfort foods, especially in winter.  I can pretty much incorporate all of the food groups into one dish and feel good about what I'm feeding my family.  Also, all bell peppers themselves--regardless of color--are full of good-for-you macronutrients like fiber and potassium.  Red and orange even have vitamin C.

If you've never tried stuffed peppers before--maybe you thought they were too difficult or time consuming to prepare--give this recipe for Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers a shot.  Let me know what you think!

Easy Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers

​A Few Thoughts Before We Begin:

• Feel free to try different kinds of peppers.  If you don't like green (they are a tad too bitter for me), use red, orange or yellow.  Want to stuff a poblano or a cubanelle?  Go for it!
• You don't have to cut the tops off the peppers and stuff them that way--there's no hard and fast rule for stuffing peppers.  I've cut the tops off (above) but I've also cut them in half (below).  They're great either way.
• If you prefer a less "crunchy" pepper, try parboiling the peppers in a large pot of salted water for 5-10 minutes before stuffing & baking. 
• ​You can swap out the meatloaf mix I use in the recipe below for solely ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken.  You can even use a plant-based protein, or make a vegetarian version by eliminating the meat altogether (see our version, below).​

2-pieces Casserole Baking Dish Set, amazon.com

8.6-Inch Ceramic Baking Dish, amazon.com

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You May Also Like:

• Baked Spaghetti Casserole
• Ground Beef & Pasta Skillet Dinners

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Click to open a printable .pdf

How About These Variations?

Obviously, swapping out the ingredients won't make them Italian-style anymore, but they'll still be just as tasty!  Here's some ideas:

• Add taco seasoning, diced chiles and black beans to your meat mixture.  Top with shredded jack cheese and cover in salsa.
• Stuff peppers with canned corned beef hash, carefully crack an egg on top and bake until set.  Top with shredded cheddar and broil until cheese is brown and bubbly.
• For a vegetarian version, use cooked your choice of Rice-a-Roni (like Herb & Butter) or Zatarains Red Beans & Rice, top with mozzarella and cover in marinara.​