Recipes for stuffed green peppers with ground beef and rice

Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers is a simple stuffed pepper recipe with cooked rice and ground beef.  With only five ingredients, including a simple tomato sauce, this basic recipe is anything but simple in flavor.

Am I the only one that feels like keeping up with summer produce is a full time job?  I can easily spend an entire morning or day making recipes to use up zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, etc.

I’m not complaining, just saying it can be somewhat exhausting in a good way.

I just can’t pass up the box of beautiful green bell peppers at the farmers market for only a couple dollars. My little Sam, who is getting ready to turn five, eats one to two bell peppers by himself on the days he is home with me.

So I stock up, but I still have too many green peppers on hand.

To remedy the situation, I searched for a quick and easy stuffed green pepper recipe in my cookbooks. I hit the jackpot when I opened up my Amish Cook Book.

Simple Stuffed Pepper Recipe

What I love about Amish cooking is that the recipes are all fairly simple.  For example, this Stuffed Pepper recipe with ground beef, rice and tomato sauce only has 5 ingredients in total.

This simple stuffed green pepper recipe has multiple aspects that point to its simplicity and easiness to make.

  • The hamburger does not get cooked before stuffing the pepper; keep it raw.
  • White rice is cooked before stuffing which means you can use leftover white rice.
  • The green peppers do not get boiled before stuffing like some recipes call for.
  • Canned tomato sauce makes the perfect, easy sauce.

Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers Ingredient List

Green Peppers, tops removed with seeds discarded

Hamburger, raw

Onions, diced (optional)

White Rice, cooked

Egg

Salt and Pepper

Tomato Sauce

Optional Ingredients

Here are a few additions that could be added to the stuffing if desired.

Shredded Cheese

Worcestershire sauce

Garlic Powder

Dried herbs (parsley, oregano, basil, etc.)

How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef, Rice and Tomato Sauce:

For the full ingredient amounts instructions for quick stuffed peppers, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking dish that fits the stuffed peppers with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Remove the tops and insides of the bell peppers. Wash and dry.
  3. In a bowl, combine raw hamburger, cooked rice, egg, diced onions and salt and pepper.
  4. Stuff bell peppers with hamburger mixture leaving room at the top for sauce.
  5. Place in prepared dish.
  6. Pour tomato sauce into the top of each bell pepper.
  7. Bake for 1 hour.

Notes About Quick Stuffed Pepper Recipe:

  • I used green peppers but any color bell peppers would work.
  • There’s no need to boil the peppers; instead, just cut off the top, remove the seeds and wash and dry the pepper.
  • Use cooked rice; go ahead and use leftover cooked rice if you have it.
  • The ground beef is raw; do not precook.
  • Pick out a baking dish that allows the peppers to stand upright without too much extra room. I like to use a tall, round dish.  If needed, slice off a tiny bit of the bottom of the pepper to allow the pepper to sit upright.
  • Depending on the size of the bell peppers, you may need 3 to 4. I had extra large ones, so I had enough filling for 3.
  • Leave a little room at the top of the pepper after filling with the ground beef mixture for the sauce.
  • Have a large family? Double this recipe.
  • Check out our Amazon Store for our favorite items, including a rice cooker…we LOVE it!

Garden Recipes with Ground Beef

Ground Beef Stuffed Yellow Squash

Bacon Cheeseburger Squash Casserole

Layered Garden Casserole with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers - A Stuffed Pepper with Cooked Rice and Ground Beef

Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers is a simple stuffed pepper recipe with cooked rice and ground beef.  With only five ingredients, including a simple sauce of tomato sauce, this basic recipe is anything but simple in flavor. 

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: old fashioned stuffed bell peppers, quick stuffed pepper, simple stuffed pepper, stuffed pepper with cooked rice and ground beef

Servings: 4 peppers

  • 3 - 4 bell peppers
  • 1/2 pound raw ground beef
  • 1/2 cup cooked white rice
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; spray a baking dish large enough to hold peppers upright with nonstick cooking spray. (I like to use a round dish.)

  • Cut the tops off the peppers, remove seeds and wash and dry peppers.

  • Combine raw hamburger, cooked rice, diced onions, egg, and pinch of salt and pepper.

  • Stuff peppers with hamburger mixture, leaving a little room at the top for sauce.

  • Place peppers in prepared dish; pour tomato sauce into the top of each pepper.

  • Bake for 1 hour.

  • I used green peppers but any color bell peppers would work.
  • There's no need to boil the peppers; instead, just cut off the top, remove the seeds and wash and dry the pepper. 
  • Cooked rice is used; go ahead and use leftover cooked rice if you have it.
  • The ground beef is raw; do not precook.
  • Depending on the size of the bell peppers, you may need 3 to 4. I had extra large ones, so I had enough filling for 3.
  • Pick out a baking dish that allows the peppers to stand upright without too much extra room. I like to use a tall, round dish.  If needed, slice off a tiny bit of the bottom of the pepper to allow the pepper to sit upright.
  • Leave a little room at the top of the pepper after filling with the ground beef mixture for the sauce.
  • Love peppers? Try this easy dinner recipe featuring bell peppers, Southern Sausage and Pintos. 

Linking up to Weekend Potluck.

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Should green peppers be cooked before stuffing?

Pre-bake the peppers! Our research found that pre-baking the peppers for 30 minutes makes them perfectly tender! Once you stuff them, you'll need 20 minutes in the hot even to get the cheese nice and melty.

Should you cover stuffed peppers when baking?

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted and lightly browned, another 15 to 20 minutes.

Should I boil my bell peppers before stuffing them?

Parboiling a pepper before stuffing ensures that its texture in the finished dish is perfect. Some people also find that parboiling peppers improves their flavor by taking away any bitterness.

Why is my rice hard in stuffed peppers?

Uncooked rice or pasta will not cook properly because of the lack of liquid inside the peppers. Raw pasta/rice? Blech. Adding the amount of liquid you would need to cook the carbohydrate properly would make the peppers waterlogged.

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