Make these mouthwatering sausage (or ground beef) and rice stuffed peppers in just 20 minutes with only five simple ingredients!
Close-up view of the delicious stuffed peppers.
This recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when you want a quick and satisfying dinner. These stuffed peppers are unbelievably delicious, and you won't believe how easy they are to make.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and Easy: From start to finish, this dish comes together in just 20 minutes!
- Super Flavorful: Using ground sausage elevates the flavor to a whole new level.
- Minimal Prep Work: By using pre-cooked rice and skipping the pre-roasting of the peppers, you save a lot of preparation time.
- All-in-One: These stuffed peppers contain veggies, rice, and meat all in one delicious bundle, so you don't need to worry about preparing side dishes.
Do You Have to Boil Peppers Before Stuffing Them?
No, you don't need to boil or roast the bell peppers before stuffing them. Bell peppers only need about 15-20 minutes in the oven to become tender, so you can simply fill the peppers and pop them into the oven.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers Without Rice
If you want to omit rice from the recipe or follow a low-carb diet, there are alternative options. You can replace the rice with cooked cauliflower rice, which is easy to find in the freezer section of your grocery store. Microwave the bag according to the package directions, and add it to the peppers as you would with rice.
Alternatively, you can replace the rice with diced mushrooms, zucchini, onions, or eggplant, or add beans like chickpeas, navy beans, or cannellini beans.
Deliciously stuffed peppers ready to be devoured!
Easy Side Dish Suggestions
While these cheesy stuffed bell peppers make a complete meal on their own, you can also serve them with a side dish. Here are some ideas:
- Salad: Side salads are quick and easy to prepare. If you don't have all the ingredients for a salad, you can pick up a pre-mixed bag in the produce department.
- Roasted Veggies: Roast some Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or green beans alongside the peppers for a flavorful side dish.
- Mashed Potatoes: If you have potatoes that need to be cooked, mash them up for a simple and satisfying side dish.
- Oven Roasted Potatoes: If mashed potatoes aren't your thing, try making these 3-Ingredient Oven Roasted Potatoes.
A serving suggestion for stuffed peppers with a side salad and roasted veggies.
Expert Tips
- Ground Italian Sausage: While you can make these stuffed peppers with other proteins, they taste the best with ground Italian sausage. It adds amazing flavor without the need for additional ingredients or spices.
- Rice Variety: You can use any rice you have on hand, such as Spanish rice, Basmati rice, or brown rice. Each variety adds its own layer of flavor to the stuffed peppers.
- Cook the Rice: Be sure to cook the rice first or use minute rice. Adding uncooked rice to the stuffing will result in dry and crunchy rice.
- Keep Peppers Upright: If you're having trouble getting the peppers to stay upright in the dish, use a smaller dish with taller sides or slice a small piece off the bottom of the pepper to level it.
- Don't Waste Pepper Tops: Dice the pepper tops and cook them with the sausage, rice, and tomato mixture. They can be added to the stuffing for extra flavor.
A delightful plate of stuffed peppers with ground sausage.
More Quick and Easy Recipes
If you're looking for more simple and delicious recipes, try these:
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Citrus Dijon Grilled Chicken (aka: the BEST chicken marinade)
- Creamy Tomato Sausage Penne
- Sheet Pan Shrimp and Broccoli
Did you try this recipe? Your rating and feedback mean the world to me!
