Easy to make and delicious to eat, unstuffed bell pepper casserole takes all the best flavors from our stuffed bell peppers recipe and packs it into a casserole. Loaded with bell peppers, ground beef, and gooey melted cheese, everyone will be asking for seconds.
Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
Of course, I love easy casserole recipes like my homemade hamburger casserole and crispy tater tot casserole, but I’m always on the lookout for new delicious ideas.
This recipe has all the flavors of stuffed bell peppers, but it’s turned into an easy casserole form. It’s an easy way to add lots of veggies to a comforting meal. Dinner for the whole family is ready in an hour, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
It’s also a great meal to prep ahead of time and freeze for later You can freeze all the ingredients prepped in the casserole dish without baking. Just bake it once it’s thawed and you’re ready to eat!
Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
Watch my easy tutorial video to see just how easy making unstuffed bell pepper casserole really is.
Recipe Ingredients
Here is an overview of what you’ll need to make this recipe. Full ingredients with measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- BELL PEPPERS – I like to use red and green bell peppers for this recipe. It’s more for a prettier presentation than taste. Feel free to use whatever color you’d like.
- GROUND BEEF – The recipe uses 1 pound of lean ground beef.
- MOZZARELLA CHEESE – A good mozzarella cheese will add a great flavor. If you are pressed for time, pick up a bag of pre-grated mozzarella cheese.
- GARLIC – I love garlic, and sometimes add more than a recipe calls for. Feel free to add more or less if you like.
- ONION – Yellow onion works best for casserole recipes like this one.
- DICED TOMATOES – Canned diced tomatoes need to be drained before adding to the recipe.
- BEEF BROTH – You can use beef broth, chicken broth or even water.
- MINUTE RICE – Minute rice cooks faster which is perfect for this dish.
- WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE – It has a distinct and delicious flavor. You can also swap it out with soy sauce.
- ITALIAN SEASONING – Italian seasoning is a blend of oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, rosemary and sage.
- TOMATO PASTE – Any can of store-bought tomato paste will do.
- SALT & PEPPER – half a tsp of both salt and pepper won’t overpower the dish but adds flavor.
Recipe Variations
- MORE VEGGIES – You can add pre-cooked diced carrots, or broccoli/cauliflower florets. Soft veggies will cook faster so if using raw, stick with those. Frozen veggies work great here too.
- CHEESE – Swap out mozzarella for cheddar cheese or freshly grated parmesan.
- GROUND MEAT – Swap out ground beef for ground turkey, chicken or pork.
- VEGAN – For a vegetarian dish, omit the meat, and replace the beef broth with vegetable broth.
How To Make Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole
Assembly of the dish will take about 15 minutes with another 40 minutes of cooking time. Here’s an overview of how to make this casserole with the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
- PREP – Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease your casserole dish with a cooking spray.
- SAUTÉ – Using a large skillet or frying pan, turn your stovetop to medium-high and sauté the ground beef until browned. Remove any excess grease by folding a paper towel several times and with a wooden spatula, stir around the bottom of the pan. Discard the paper towel after use.
- ADD – Add the garlic, bell peppers and onion to the beef. Then, add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir, and allow the mixture to cook for 1 minute.
- ASSEMBLE – In a large bowl, mix together the diced tomatoes, beef broth, minute rice and tomato paste. Add the cooked ground beef mixture in and stir everything together.
- BAKE – Pour the mixture into a casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese, and place back in the oven for another 15-18 minutes or until the cheese has browned to your liking.
PRO TIP: Dishes like this one go perfectly with a dollop of sour cream, freshly diced parsley, and fresh cracked pepper.
How To Store
You can prebake and freeze this dish well in advance of an event or family function.
- REFRIGERATE – Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container, or a cling-wrapped dish for 2-3 days.
- FREEZER – A great recipe for frozen dinners, you can either prepare everything right up to before baking and 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, use a microwave and heat in one minute increments until heated. Reheat covered in an oven set to 350°F for about 15-20 minutes.
I love recipes like this unstuffed bell pepper casserole because they’re fast and without a lot of fuss. Perfect to feed a hungry family!
For more easy dinner recipes try my tater tot casserole, flavorful chicken broccoli rice casserole, easy ultimate chicken casserole recipe, or hamburger casserole.
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 9×13 casserole dish lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the 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 browned. Use a folded piece of paper towel to swish around and soak up the excess grease.
- Add in the garlic, chopped onion, and bell peppers. Mix everything together.
- Next, stir in the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the beef broth, diced tomatoes, minute rice and tomato paste.
- Add the cooked ground beef bell pepper mixture and stir together.
- Pour the mixture into the greased casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese overtop. Bake uncovered for another 15-18 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then scoop onto plates and serve.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.