Stuffed Pepper Casserole takes your favorite Main Dish and turns it into an easy weeknight meal! If you don’t have time to make gourmet stuffed peppers, then simply your life and make this delicious Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole!

Do you love stuffed bell peppers but don’t love the process of hollowing out the peppers? Maybe you’re like me and want a yummy piece of bell pepper in every bite! If any of this sounds like you, this stuffed pepper casserole is going to bring a huge smile to your face.

This is an easy and filling casserole recipe that can be served as the main dish for dinner or you can bring it along to a potluck to be enjoyed with other wonderful side dishes.

Not only is this Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole delicious, but it is easy to save as leftovers and even easier to modify to specific dietary needs.

If you ask me, having a reliably satisfying dish that is easy to save and to share is something that just can’t be forgotten. This is why this recipe is one of my absolute favorites.

What goes in Stuffed Pepper Casserole?

Butter: I always have sticks of butter on hand — it goes in everything!
Bell Peppers: The star of the show. Of course, you can choose to just use green peppers. They are always crisp and crunchy. If you’re looking to add more color, you can always go full stoplight and add red and yellow to the pan as well!
Onion: Don’t cry! Sauteing the onions with the bell peppers adds a robust flavor to the stuffed pepper casserole.
Ground Beef: Just like when you’re making traditional stuffed bell peppers, this casserole calls for ground beef to fill out the dish.
Tomatoes AND Tomato Paste: You’ll need both tomatoes and the saucy goodness of tomato paste when making this one-pot stuffed pepper casserole.
Cooked Rice: Cooking the rice before adding it to the pot helps keep things easy. The rice is a yummy way to keep the casserole filling. And making it ahead of time or using leftover rice, means that it’s a quicker bake time.
Worcestershire Sauce: Do you love saying this tongue twister? I can’t always get it to roll off my tongue, but it certainly adds the right flavor to this delicious dish.
Cheese: The creamy goodness of cheese is always my favorite part of any recipe. I can never truly get enough of it.

How to make Stuffed Pepper Casserole:

Step 1 – Saute the Peppers and Onions: After dicing up the bell peppers and onions, saute them in your oven-safe skillet with butter. Your mouth will begin to water as all of the flavors start to come together.
Step 2 – Brown the Meat: Put the ground beef right in with the veggies you just sauteed. This means fewer dirty pans and allows your veggies to keep cooking!
Step 3 – Add the Rice and Tomatoes: Take your rice and tomatoes and throw it right on in with the veggies and browned meat. At this step, you’ll really start to see everything come together!
Step 4 – Keep it Cheesy: Have I mentioned that cheese is always my favorite part of any recipe? The best part about this stuffed pepper casserole is that you get to add cheese to the skillet and then add more once you’re ready to bake. YUM! I have made this without cheese, and it turns out just as delicious!

Can I make a quick Stuffed Pepper Casserole?

This casserole is pretty quick to throw together as is. However, if you’re looking to cut the prep-time down even further, you could opt for instant rice.

By using canned tomatoes, paste, and shredded cheese, this recipe really only takes as long as sauteing the peppers and onions! A delicious dinner will be ready in no time!

What to serve with Stuffed Pepper Casserole:

This robust dish is packed with protein and veggies and satisfying on its own. This casserole also goes great with any of the following side dishes:

What Else Can I use in this Stuffed Pepper Casserole?

This casserole is easy to switch up. If you’re looking to make this a vegetarian casserole, you could substitute the ground beef with mushrooms! You could also keep adding veggies to the pot like carrots, corn, or zucchini! Just sautee them with the peppers and onions.

If you want to keep it meaty but want to use something other than ground beef, you could also try Ground Turkey, Ground Chicken, or even sausage!

Can I freeze Stuffed Pepper Casserole?

Yes you can! Make the casserole as directed up to the bake section. Transfer mixture into a freezer dish, cover and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, you can either thaw for 24 hours in the fridge or bake frozen. If baking frozen, allow an additional 20 – 30 minutes of cook time.

How long does Stuffed Pepper Casserole last in the fridge?

Keep this in an airtight container stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Stuffed pepper casserole is great as leftovers, something I love in a casserole because it is easy to make just a little too much and it is divine when it still tastes great the next few days!

How can I make Stuffed Pepper Casserole Dairy-free?

To do this you just have to eliminate the cheese and butter. When I made this for friends with dietary restrictions, we left out the cheese and cooked the onions and peppers in oil instead of butter. Other than that, it was dairy free, gluten free and sugar free! Then you can offer cheese on the side for those who wish to add it.

Other Easy Casseroles to try:

I am a huge fan of stuffed bell peppers, but this Inside Out stuffed pepper casserole is an easy way to make one of my favorite dinners in a fraction of the time. Turning this into a casserole makes portion sizes easier and leftovers a dream. This stuffed bell pepper casserole really is easy to switch up when you need to accommodate people with dietary restrictions.

Yield: 8 Servings

Inside Out Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Name: Inside Out Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons butter; 3 Bell Peppers - any color, chopped into bite sized pieces.; 1/2 yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup); 1 pound ground beef; 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1 can Ro*tel tomatoes; 1/2 cup cooked rice (leftovers work well); 3 ounces tomato paste (approximately 1/3 cup); 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 cups water; 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

If you love stuffed peppers, you'll want to try this Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe! This one pot casserole is gluten free and sugar free and can be adapted to be diary free too!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons butter
3 Bell Peppers - any color, chopped into bite sized pieces.
1/2 yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 can Ro*tel tomatoes
1/2 cup cooked rice (leftovers work well)
3 ounces tomato paste (approximately 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cups water
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*F
In a large skillet, combine the butter, bell peppers and onion. Sautee for 5 minutes.
Add ground beef and cook until beef is cooked through, onions are translucent and peppers are soft.
Add in Italian seasoning and mix well.
Add tomatoes, rice, tomato pate, Worcestershire sauce and water to beef mixture and mix well.
Add 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese and mix well until cheese is melted.
If skillet is oven safe, spread remaining cheese on top. If skillet is not oven safe, then transfer mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish and top with cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 441Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 455mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 30g

Originally Posted: April 5, 2019

Photos & Text Updated: February 7, 2020