This Stuffed Pepper Skillet is filled with ground beef, rice, and bell peppers in a flavorful tomato sauce. Best of all, it’s finished with cheese, melting through the skillet and adding the perfect richness to it all.
This is a quick weeknight meal even the youngest family member loves. Cheese works kind of like the magic wand for the dinner table, doesn’t it?
Stuffed Pepper Skillet
Will your kids eat peppers diced up in their food? Mine have all been through stages of being picky about things like that. For a while it was hit or miss with my little ones, but this meal is a solid win.
Last time we made this for dinner, one of my kids refused pancake or peanut butter toast the next morning, but devoured this for breakfast.
I say all of that to tell you, yes, everyone in our family loves this meal, even the parents who aren’t grown up enough to enjoy traditional stuffed peppers.
But cut those peppers up into bite-sized pieces and we all think it’s delicious with a whole lot of flavor.
Ground Beef Stuffed Pepper Skillet
This is one of those recipes where I deliberately keep most of the ingredients on hand. It’s an easy one to add to our weekly meal plan and it’s often my answer to “what’s for dinner?” when I don’t really have a plan.
I always have rice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and soy sauce in the pantry. These spices are staples in our cooking as well.
Cheese is a given in our fridge 24/7 – did I mention it’s my magic wand for getting the kids to try pretty much any meal? And we always have ground beef in the freezer.
Onion, garlic, and a bell pepper are the only other ingredients here. And guess what? You can prep and freeze each of those ahead of time. I like to keep plenty of bell peppers and onions chopped and ready to use in the freezer. It makes life so many easier on busy weeks when I haven’t made it to the grocery store yet.
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I found this recipe years ago and have adapted it from Betty Crocker’s Stuffed Pepper Casserole. Even if your kids aren’t always thrilled with bell peppers, this one is truly worth trying!
For a couple more easy meals you can pull together in under an hour, try Zuppa Toscana or the Spinach Artichoke Bagels. Those bagels were a surprise hit with the whole family and they’re perfect for a light meal with a salad on the side.
Mexican Pulled Pork is a fave with the whole family and it requires less than 5 minutes of effort to start it cooking in the Crock-pot.
Sticky Asian Meatballs are sweet and a little bit spicy. I typically serve these meatballs over rice, with some steamed or roasted vegetables on the side. However, they work great as a party appetizer too.
This sweet and spicy chicken stir fry is filled with broccoli and peppers and tossed in a terrific barbecue sauce for a savory sweet meal we all love.
Want another bell pepper recipe to try? This Roasted Red Pepper Hummus The Mediterranean Dish caught my eye the other day and it’s on my list now. I don’t think the kids have tried hummus yet, but I LOVE it and I’m betting they will too!
If you’re looking for other one pot dinner ideas for busy nights, try this One Pot Pasta with Tomato and Mascarpone Sauce from Happy Veggie Kitchen or the One Pot Vegetarian Spaghetti from Family Food on the Table.
Stuffed Pepper Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 large green pepper diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cups beef broth
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot or deep, straight sided skillet with a tight fitting lid, brown the beef and onion over medium heat. Drain the grease and add bell peppers, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook just until the peppers start to soften. Add garlic and saute just until brown, about 30 seconds.
- Add rice, tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until rice is cooked through. If there is still liquid in the skillet, remove the lid and simmer until it is gone.
- Sprinkle with cheese and cover with lid just until the cheese is melted.
Nutrition
{originally published 7/5/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/11/21}
Here are some of my other favorite weeknight dinners:
Creamy Italian Sausage and Tortellini
Christine Anderson says
Did you use 5 min rice or real rice (lol) ?
Mary says
“Real” rice 😉
Christine Anderson says
Thank you
Amy says
Love this, have made it several time.
Do you think this could be done in a crockpot? This would be amazing to have when we are getting home from snowmobiling.
Mary says
I’m so glad you’re loving the recipe, Amy. I don’t think this will work well in a crockpot, as the rice will likely overcook.
Sandra says
Have switched to making this rather than traditional stuffed peppers. One bell pepper is not enough IMO, I always use 2 or 3. Otherwise, I pretty much stick to the recipe. Have used grated parmesan cheese when cheddar is in short supply.
Mary says
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Sandra.