Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers
Tender bell peppers packed with seasoned ground beef, cauliflower rice and tomatoes and baked under melted cheddar — the family-dinner classic without the rice.
Nutrition per serving
1 stuffed pepper- Net carbs
- 9.6g
- Calories
- 497kcal
- Protein
- 29g
- Fat
- 36g
- Total carbs
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 5.8 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Taco-stuffed: Taco-seasoned beef and pepper jack inside, with sour cream and avocado on top.
- Season the filling with the chili powder and cumin instead of the Italian herbs and use pepper jack for the cheese. Top each pepper with sour cream and avocado.
Vegetarian (mushroom & cheese): Finely chopped mushrooms cooked down until meaty replace the beef, with extra mozzarella folded in for protein.
- Cook the mushrooms in the oil over medium-high heat 10–12 minutes, until all their liquid has evaporated and they are well browned, before adding the onion. Stir the mozzarella into the filling along with the first ½ cup of cheddar.
- Nice to have (optional)
-
1 tsp Worcestershire sauceleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $13.67 for 4 servings ($3.42 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish just large enough to hold them, trimming a thin slice off the bottoms if they wobble (without cutting through). Dice the usable pepper from around the stems.
-
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no pink remains (160°F/71°C), 7–8 minutes. Spoon off the excess fat.
-
Add the onion and diced pepper tops and cook 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning and paprika for 30 seconds.
-
Stir in the riced cauliflower, half the tomatoes with their juice, the Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Simmer 5–6 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and most of the liquid has cooked off. Stir in ½ cup of the cheddar.
-
Pack the filling into the peppers, mounding it on top. Spoon the remaining tomatoes around the peppers, add 2 tablespoons water to the dish, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
-
Uncover, top with the remaining cheddar and bake 10–15 minutes more, until the peppers are tender when pierced and the cheese is melted and browned. Sprinkle with parsley and spoon the pan sauce over to serve.
Tips for success
-
Green peppers are the classic choice and the lowest in carbs; red, yellow and orange peppers are sweeter and add about 1 g net carbs each. - For softer peppers, blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes before stuffing.
- Leftover bolognese or chili makes a fast filling — stir in a cup of riced cauliflower and stuff as above.
Nice to have, not needed
- A snug baking dish keeps the peppers upright — a few balls of foil tucked around them work too.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Reheat covered at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes, or microwave 2–3 minutes, until hot in the center.
Prep tip: Freeze baked peppers individually wrapped; they soften slightly after thawing but hold their shape.
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes or in the microwave. Baked peppers freeze up to 3 months.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosTaco-stuffed
FlavorTaco-seasoned beef and pepper jack inside, with sour cream and avocado on top.
- Italian seasoning → chili powder
- shredded cheddar → shredded pepper jack
- + 2 tsp ground cumin
- + ¼ cup sour cream
- + 1 medium avocado
- no Worcestershire sauce
10 g net · 584 kcal · 31 g protein · 44 g fat · ≈$3.83 per serving (+0.8 g net carbs vs the original)
Vegetarian (mushroom & cheese)
DietFinely chopped mushrooms cooked down until meaty replace the beef, with extra mozzarella folded in for protein.
- ground beef (80/20) → cremini mushrooms
- Worcestershire sauce → tamari or soy sauce
- + 1 cup shredded mozzarella
12 g net · 317 kcal · 19 g protein · 21 g fat · ≈$2.91 per serving (+2.4 g net carbs vs the original)
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