Italian Stuffed Peppers With Rice and Ground Beef

Published: Jan 23, 2022 · Modified: Jan 23, 2022 by

Italian Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef are like a low-carb lasagna prepared in their own edible dish. These Lasagna Stuffed Peppers are a delicious mix of ground beef, orzo & tomato sauce, all stuffed into tri-color peppers. A hearty dinner ready in 45! Low carb, keto, and gluten-free options are available.

Closeup of yellow bell pepper on serving plate with rest in background.

New Year's resolutions always seem to come full circle with the new year bringing a renewed drive to eat better, exercise more, and try to stay as healthy as possible. These Baked Stuffed Peppers bring everyone's favorite Italian flavors to the table without the heavy carb load.

I'm a sucker for anything Italian, from Creamy Sausage Pasta to Meatball Casseroles to Strombolis but this stuffed peppers with ground beef recipe just happens to be one of the healthiest. And it's easy to make too!

Pepper is cut to show filling on inside.

Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

Why do I call it lasagna stuffed peppers? Well it has all the layered flavors of lasagna from the meat sauce, to the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses to the orzo pasta. And it makes dinner in one dish like a casserole except everyone's is stuffed into their own pepper.

Overhead of stuffed peppers with ground beef on white serving platter.

Why You'll Love These Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef

It's an easy and complete dinner in each pepper!
Beautiful Italian flavors - layered like a lasagna
Great way to get your veggies including the extra tomatoes and zucchini added
Relatively inexpensive to make
It's gluten-free and with a few changes, keto-friendly
Many ways to change it up to suit your family's tastes
Great meal prep idea - make ahead and serve the next day or freeze
Delicious leftovers for lunch or dinner

Variations

Instead of beef - use ground chicken, turkey, pork or Italian sausage
More Veggies - try adding corn, mushrooms, spinach, kale either in place of zucchini or in addition to it
Change out the orzo - for quinoa, rice, couscous, barley, riced cauliflower or farrow
Cheeses - use your favorite cheeses such as fontina, pepper jack or sharp cheddar (a little less Italian but still delicious)
Like it spicy? - add red pepper flakes
Don't like bell peppers? Just prepare the filling, cooking some diced peppers (optional) in with the onion and garlic, browning the ground beef, then adding to orzo-cheese mixture. Pour into a casserole dish that has been coated with non-stick spray and bake as directed in recipe.
Keto Stuffed Peppers – change out the orzo for riced cauliflower and you have the perfect keto meal. To make it lower carb, switch the sweet bell peppers to green bell peppers.
Low Carb Stuffed Peppers – follow much the same swaps as keto stuffed peppers. You can also lower the carb count by opting for cream cheese, cottage cheese, goat cheese or spinach and artichoke dip in lieu of the ricotta cheese

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to precook the peppers before stuffing them?

No, many people use them as is but be aware that the peppers may have a slight crispness or crunch when the dish is fully cooked. I precooked the peppers for this dish, as it takes just 5 minutes, and they came out perfectly tender and firm enough to hold the filling.

Can I meal prep these stuffed bell peppers in advance?

Yep! These can easily be made the day before and refrigerated. Just add some extra time to the baking to make sure they warm through.

Can I freeze stuffed peppers?

Yes, it's a great meal to make-ahead, bake as directed, then freeze until you're ready to serve. They will last about 3 months in the freezer.

How long do I cook Stuffed Peppers?

When baking stuffed sweet peppers, bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. See below for optional cooking methods and times.

How long do you reheat bell peppers stuffed with ground beef?

Simply thaw the dish overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat them from frozen but it will take a bit longer, 20-30 minutes or until heated through.

Ingredients

Bell Peppers - are vitamin and fiber-rich. Try to purchase peppers that are similar in size so they cook at the same rate. Opt for larger ones that can hold more filling.

Beef - is a great source of protein. It is best to use lean ground beef, or opt for turkey, chicken, pork, or ground Italian sausage

Orzo - a small pasta that looks similar to rice and fits very well into the peppers. Other options include quinoa, riced cauliflower, and regular rice.

Onion/Garlic - lends flavor to the filling

Salt – blends the flavors together

Tomato, Zucchini - great add-ins that add extra vegetables to the mix

Tomato Sauce – gives the filling both flavor and moistness. Like it spicy? Take the heat up a notch by using fire-roasted tomatoes.

Cheese - mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan carry the Italian lasagna flavor throughout the pepper mixture. Feel free to use other favorite cheeses such as cream cheese in place of ricotta, or gruyere in place of mozzarella for a more upscale stuffed pepper

Olive Oil - used to saute vegetables.

Seasonings - basil and oregano lend the Italian flavor to the sauce. Feel free to add other herbs such as oregano or thyme.

Peppers for Stuffed Peppers

Any color of peppers can be used for this dish, though I prefer the red and yellow peppers. They all have slightly different flavors so use your favorite. Saying that, if you are on a keto or low carb diet, green bell peppers are lower in carbs than their sweeter cousins.

How to Make Stuffed Bell Peppers

Preparing filling

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.(photo 1)
Break up the ground beef into the skillet. (photo 2)
Add the herbs and spices then cook until meat is browned and cooked through.(photo 3)
In a large bowl, combine cooked orzo, ricotta, half of the mozzarella, zucchini and tomatoes.(photo 4)
Add spaghetti sauce.(photo 5)
Stir to combine.(photo 6)

Preparing the peppers

Wash the peppers then cut the tops off. Remove the membrane and seeds.(photo 1)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the peppers. Parboil for 5 minutes. This extra time will make the peppers the right softness after baking. Remove from the pan, turn upside down, and let them drain.(photo 2)
Place peppers into a greased baking dish. Here's a tip for you. If the peppers won't stand upright, trim a little off the bottom, still leaving bottom intact then stuff with the beef-orzo mixture.(photo 3)
Sprinkle the tops with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.(photo 4)

Pro-Tip: To keep peppers from falling over, slice some of the bumps off the bottom creating a level base. Do not cut through into the pepper itself or the contents will leak out. You can also prop them up with rolled aluminum foil.

Overhead of baked peppers stuffed with orzo and ground beef.

Finish by baking for 25 minutes. It comes out beautifully browned, cheesy, and with all the flavors of your favorite lasagna. I just love that browned cheese! You can even put the dish right under the broiler at the end and get it a little browner.

Tip: If freezing prior to cooking, make sure the ingredients, such as beef and orzo, have been cooked thoroughly, then freeze.

Looking down on stuffed red bell pepper in baking dish.

An easy dinner, full of vegetables, that's perfect for the entire family and can be on the table in 45 minutes. I like to serve it with a side of Caesar salad, some air fryer garlic bread, or a loaf of crusty French Bread for a filling and delicious meal.

Oh, and if you happen to have some leftover, it tastes just as good the second time around! Enjoy!

Alternate Cooking Methods for Stuffed Peppers

Instant Pot

Mix the raw filling ingredients, no need to precook, and stuff peppers, leaving off the cheese topping. Pour 1 cup – 1-½ cups water, depending on whether you are using a 6 or 8-qt IP) into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place trivet over water. Stand filled peppers on a trivet and cook 10 minutes on high then vent pressure immediately. Place cheese on top, cover, and let sit until cheese is melted.

Air Fryer

Cook the filling and fill peppers much the same way as if you were baking them. Save the cheese for later. Place the filled peppers in an air fryer basket that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and cook at 360 degrees for 10 minutes. Add cheese and air fry for 2-3 more minutes.

Crockpot

Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray. Mix the raw filling ingredients, no need to precook, and stuff into peppers. Set aside the cheese for later. Place ½ cup water in the bottom of the crockpot then stand the peppers upright in the water and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. At the end, top with cheese and cover until the cheese is melted.

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6 large bell peppers, red, yellow or orange
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 Tablespoon basil
1 Tablespoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup uncooked orzo, cooked according to package directions (quinoa or zoodles for gluten-free)
½ cup ricotta cheese
8 oz mozzarella shredded
½ zucchini diced
3 tomatoes diced
2 cups favorite pasta sauce
¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated (or Pecorino Romano)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a rectangular baking dish that will hold all the peppers by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Wash the peppers then cut the tops off. Remove the membrane and seeds. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, drop in the peppers and parboil for 5 minutes. Remove and turn upside down to drain.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add ground beef and spices and cook until meat is brown and cooked through.
Drain meat and pour into large bowl. Add cooked orzo, ricotta, half of the mozzarella, zuchini, tomatoes and spaghetti sauce. Stir to combine.
Stuff peppers and place in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the tops with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot alongside some warm crusty bread.

VARIATIONS

Instead of beef - use ground chicken, turkey, pork or Italian sausage
More Veggies - try adding corn, mushrooms, spinach, kale either in place of zucchini or in addition to it
Change out the orzo - for quinoa, rice, couscous, barley, riced cauliflower or farrow
Cheeses - use your favorite cheeses such as fontina, pepper jack or sharp cheddar (a little less Italian but still delicious)
Like it spicy? - add red pepper flakes
Don't like bell peppers? Just prepare the filling, cooking some diced peppers (optional) in with the onion and garlic, browning the ground beef, then adding to orzo-cheese mixture. Pour into a casserole dish that has been coated with non-stick spray and bake as directed in recipe.
Keto Stuffed Peppers – change out the orzo for riced cauliflower and you have the perfect keto meal. To make it lower carb, switch the sweet bell peppers to green bell peppers.
Low Carb Stuffed Peppers – follow much the same swaps as keto stuffed peppers. You can also lower the carb count by opting for cream cheese, cottage cheese, goat cheese or spinach and artichoke dip in lieu of the ricotta cheese

This post has been updated with step-by-step instructions and new photos. It was first published on February 15, 2015.

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Source: https://2cookinmamas.com/lasagna-stuffed-peppers/