Sandra Ina Garten Stuffed Bell Peppers are a Mediterranean-style main course featuring vibrant vegetables packed with seasoned beef and rice. These peppers use tomato sauce and melted mozzarella to create a satisfying, family-friendly dinner.
The first time I made this, I didn’t drain the beef properly and the filling turned out greasy. Now I always pour off every bit of excess fat before mixing in the rice. That’s the difference between a clean, beefy flavour and a heavy, oily mess.
This is one of those recipes that looks harder than it is. The whole thing comes down to how you prep the peppers. I’ve tried a few versions of stuffed peppers and this one from Ina Garten is the one I keep going back to because the ratio of rice to meat is spot on.
Ina Garten Stuffed Bell Peppers Ingredients
- 6 medium bell peppers (red, yellow, or green)
- 450g (1lb) ground beef
- 200g (7oz) cooked white rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 425g (15oz) tomato sauce
- 50g (2oz) grated Parmesan cheese
- 60g (2oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
How To Make Ina Garten Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Preheat the oven: Set the rack in the middle and heat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas Mark 5). Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold all the peppers upright so they don’t tip over.
- Prep the bell peppers: Slice off the tops of the bell peppers and remove the seeds and white membranes from the inside. Finely chop the usable flesh from the pepper tops and save them for the filling.
- Sauté the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, and the chopped pepper bits. Cook for about 4 minutes until they’re soft and see-through before adding the ground beef. Cook the meat until it’s browned all over and drain the fat from the pan.
- Mix the stuffing: Stir in the cooked rice, tomato sauce, Parmesan, salt, and black pepper. Let it simmer for 3 minutes to combine the flavours. Remove the pan from the heat and gently mix in the fresh parsley.
- Stuff the peppers: Spoon the beef mixture into each pepper and press it down with the back of the spoon. Top each one with a generous pinch of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the peppers: Place the peppers upright in the baking dish and cover the top tightly with aluminium foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and the peppers are soft when poked with a knife.
- Serve: Let the dish sit for 5 minutes before moving the peppers to plates. Garnish with a little extra parsley if you want a bit of fresh colour.
Recipe Tips
Trim the bottoms. If your peppers are wobbly, slice a tiny bit off the base to make them flat. Do not cut through to the hollow centre or the filling will leak out during baking.
Use leftover rice. Cold rice from the night before works better than freshly boiled grains because it’s drier. This prevents the stuffing from becoming mushy when it’s mixed with the tomato sauce.
Seal with foil. Make sure the aluminium foil is tucked tightly around the edges of the dish. This traps the steam which is what actually cooks the peppers until they’re tender.
Prepare in advance. You can stuff the peppers a day early and keep them in the fridge. Just add 10 minutes to the covered baking time since the dish will be starting from cold.
Choose heavy peppers. When shopping, pick peppers that feel heavy for their size and have four distinct bumps on the bottom. These “female” peppers are usually wider and stand up more easily in the oven.
What To Serve With Stuffed Bell Peppers
These peppers are quite a substantial meal on their own. I usually serve them with a crisp green salad or some steamed broccoli to add a bit of crunch to the plate.
If you want something to soak up the extra tomato sauce, a crusty baguette or garlic bread is a great shout. A simple cucumber and red onion salad with a sharp vinaigrette also helps cut through the richness of the beef.
How To Store Stuffed Bell Peppers
Fridge
Put the cooled peppers into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure the container is deep enough so the cheese doesn’t stick to the lid.
Reheat
The best way to reheat these is in the oven at 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) for about 15 minutes. You can use a microwave for 2 minutes, but the peppers might become a bit watery.
Freeze
Wrap each cooked pepper individually in clingfilm and then a layer of foil before freezing for up to 2 months. Defrost them in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven.
Ina Garten Stuffed Bell Peppers Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 380
- Protein: 28g
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 620mg
Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.
FAQs
No, the rice must be pre-cooked before it goes into the filling. Raw rice won’t absorb enough liquid to soften properly during the baking time.
Yes, ground turkey is a fine substitute if you want a leaner filling. Add an extra teaspoon of olive oil to the pan when browning the meat so it doesn’t dry out.
Peppers stay hard if the oven wasn’t properly preheated or if the foil wasn’t sealed tightly. The steam trapped under the foil is what softens the vegetable walls.
Ina Garten Stuffed Bell Peppers
Description
Vibrant bell peppers stuffed with a savoury blend of ground beef, rice, and tomato sauce, finished with melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas Mark 5) and grease a baking dish.
- Slice tops off peppers, remove seeds, and chop the flesh from the tops.
- Sauté onion, garlic, and chopped pepper bits in oil until soft.
- Brown the beef, drain the fat, and stir in rice and tomato sauce.
- Stuff peppers with the mixture and top each with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes more.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving with fresh parsley.
