Unstuffed bell pepper casserole is loaded with ground beef, gooey melted cheese, rice and fresh veggies.
Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole Overview
This easy-to-make casserole takes the best flavors from my stuffed bell peppers recipe and packs them into a comforting casserole topped with baked cheese. Prep in 15 minutes then relax for 40 minutes of cooking time.
Continue on your casserole journey with my hamburger casserole and crispy tater tot casserole.
Watch my easy tutorial video to see just how easy making unstuffed bell pepper casserole is.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup yellow onion - chopped
- 3 cups chopped bell peppers - I used 2 cups green, 1 cup red
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups beef broth - chicken broth or water
- 15 oz canned diced tomatoes - liquid drained
- 1 cup minute rice
- 5 oz tomato paste
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
How To Make Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
STEP 2: Add 1 lb lean ground beef to a frying pan over medium-high heat. Break apart into small pieces using the tip of a spatula. Sauté until the ground beef is no longer pink. Use a folded piece of paper towel to swish around and soak up the excess grease.
STEP 3: Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 cup chopped yellow onion, and 3 cups chopped bell peppers. Mix everything.
STEP 4: Next, add 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly then remove from heat and set aside.
STEP 5: In a large bowl, mix 1 ½ cups beef broth, 15 oz canned diced tomatoes (with liquid drained), 1 cup minute rice, and 5 oz tomato paste.
STEP 6: Add the ground beef bell pepper mixture to the bowl and stir together.
STEP 7: Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
STEP 8: After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella on top. Bake uncovered for another 15-18 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes, scoop onto plates and serve!
Recipe Variations
- Swap out mozzarella for cheddar cheese or freshly grated parmesan.
- Swap out ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, or pork.
Recipe Tips
- In STEP 2 the beef doesn't need to be fully cooked in the frying pan, give it a good sear on the outside, break it down into small pieces then move on to the next step. It will continue to cook when the other ingredients are added and when baked for 20 minutes in a casserole dish.
- This is a great meal to prep ahead of time and freeze for later. Follow the reheat instructions below in the how to store section.
How To Store
- Refrigerate - Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container, or a cling-wrapped dish for 2-3 days.
- Freezer - This is a great recipe for frozen dinners, you can prepare everything (except the cheese) without baking then freeze, or bake completely and freeze. If stored in an airtight container, both will stay fresh for up to 2 months.
- Reheat - If frozen allow to thaw in the fridge overnight.
- To reheat the pre-cooked recipe, use a microwave and heat in one-minute increments until heated. In an oven, set to 350°F and reheat for about 15-20 minutes.
- For the uncooked recipe, follow steps 7-8 to cook.
Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 3 cups chopped bell peppers - I used 2 cups green, 1 cup red
- 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups beef broth - chicken broth or water
- 15 oz canned diced tomatoes - liquid drained
- 1 cup minute rice
- 5 oz tomato paste
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add 1 lb lean ground beef to a frying pan over medium-high heat. Break apart into small pieces using the tip of a spatula. Sauté until the outside of the ground beef is browned outside, and pink inside. Use a folded piece of paper towel to swish around and soak up the excess grease.
- Add 2 cloves garlic - minced, 1 cup yellow onion - chopped, and 3 cups bell peppers - chopped. Mix everything.
- Next, add 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly then remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix 1 ½ cups beef broth, 15 oz canned diced tomatoes - liquid drained, 1 cup minute rice, and 5 oz tomato paste.
- Add the ground beef bell pepper mixture to the bowl and stir.
- Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella on top. Bake uncovered for another 15-18 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes, scoop onto plates and serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
Katrina Z says
This recipe is simple to make and absolutely delicious! It’s in my family’s rotation of regular meals. Everyone LOVES it! I may never go through the trouble of making stuffed peppers again!