Turn stuffed peppers into a hassle-free one-pan meal simply by UNstuffing them!
Stuffed peppers are a classic cross-cultural delicacy, especially in the summer months when gardens are in abundance of beautiful bell peppers. Filling this versatile vegetable with a saucy mixture of rice and meat is a magnificent way to place bell peppers front and center. Although the ingredients are simple, stuffed peppers aren’t the easiest dish to make. They require several different steps, multiple pans, and a somewhat lengthy process. So what a joy it was to discover a recipe that maintains the same great taste of stuffed peppers and uses the exact same ingredients, but drastically shortens the process.
The secret seasoning
This recipe uses one special spice and that’s steak seasoning. Steak seasoning is a coarse mixture of several basic seasonings such as salt, pepper, minced onion and minced garlic. It’s perfect to sprinkle on any beef (or even vegetable mixture) to add subtle flavor, enhancing the taste of the meat. Since the salt is already incorporated, you don’t need to add more, saving you one thing to measure out. (Seriously, this recipe is foolproof!) You needn’t add any additional spices or seasonings outside of what the recipe calls for. The bell pepper is the focal point of this meal, so less is more when it comes to the spices.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Stuffed peppers in their original form are a perfect dish to make ahead and then freeze or refrigerate. However, when it comes to unstuffed peppers I don’t recommend making ahead. This is a dish to make when you haven’t prepared anything ahead of time. Once cooked, you can store your unstuffed pepper leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can I Use Other Colors of Peppers?
Absolutely, I argue that you should! Use any color of bell pepper, or capsicum as they’re called in other countries, for this dish. Green is the most commonly picked, but red, orange, and yellow peppers are sweeter and add more flavors.
Can I Replace the Garlic Powder with Fresh or Minced Garlic?
It’s easier to measure out a spoonful of garlic powder than peeling and chopping fresh garlic, but you can always use the two interchangeably. I usually go for the fresh garlic and I use a food chopper to dice 3-4 cloves of garlic and the onion all at once.
Serving Suggestions
Unstuffed peppers are a filling meal, so I recommend adding a salad or two alongside them to the table. I go for summer classics like a refreshing Watermelon and Feta salad or a revitalizing Cucumber and Tomato Salad. Adding these to the table will give you a gorgeous summery spread.
Unstuffed Peppers
Ingredients Â
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 green bell peppers cut into 1-inch pieces
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 1 teaspoon steak seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
InstructionsÂ
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and green peppers until the beef is browned. Drain any excess fat and return the mixture to the skillet.
- Stir in the spaghetti sauce, water, rice, steak seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper until well combined.
- Bring the skillet to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. If the mixture appears dry, add up to 1/2 cup more water as needed.
- Once the rice is tender, mix in half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Top the mixture with the remaining mozzarella cheese, cover the skillet, and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve the Unstuffed Peppers warm, straight from the skillet.
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