🫑 Stuffed Peppers without Rice (Cheesy Beef Filling, Ready in 28 Minutes)

blue dish with four stuffed bell peppers covered in cheese and herbs

🫑 Stuffed Peppers without Rice (Cheesy Beef Filling, Ready in 28 Minutes)

Stuffed peppers without rice — filled with cheesy seasoned beef and tiny pasta, ready in just 28 minutes! A fast, family-friendly dinner even picky eaters will devour.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 479.7kcal

Author Marcie & Julie

Equipment

1 medium pot
1 large pot
1 large pan
1 square casserole dish

Ingredients

4 cups beef broth
2/3 cup acini di pepe or another small pasta, like orzo
2 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
4 bell peppers any colors
cooking spray
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
15 oz crushed tomatoes
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese divided
fresh herbs optional, i.e. rosemary, oregano, chives, tarragon, parsley, thyme

Instructions

PASTA! Bring 4 cups of beef broth to a boil. Cook pasta in broth according to package instructions. Drain in a fine mesh strainer and set aside.
PEPPERS! Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water, add 2 teaspoons of the salt, and heat to a boil. Cut tops off bell peppers and scoop out the seeds. Place peppers in the boiling water for 5-6 mins, turning occasionally using long handled tongs. Carefully remove peppers from water with tongs. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and place peppers (open-side up) into dish. *Now set oven to broil*
FILLING! In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Next add beef, and after a couple minutes, sprinkle in the seasonings (garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt). Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat chunks as you go. Once beef is until no longer pink, stir in crushed tomatoes, 3/4 cup of the cheese, and cooked pasta. Stir together over heat for 1 minute.
STUFF & BROIL! Remove pan from heat. Spoon the beef mix into the peppers, dividing it evenly, and top off with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Place casserole dish in the middle rack of oven for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Careful not to burn the peppers, as every oven heats differently.
Optional: sprinkle peppers with fresh herbs before serving.

Video

Notes

Tools- Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the pasta because it's so tiny. Long tongs will help you reach the boiling peppers in the pot so the boiling water doesn't splatter on your hands. And a potato masher helps break up the ground beef for the filling while cooking.

Time-saving tips ⏰ (1) Water/broth will reach a boil faster if you cover your pot with a lid. (2) Use pre-cooked rice instead of pasta. (3) Swap fresh onion with onion powder.
Save the pepper tops- You can chop them up and refrigerate, so you have a ready ingredient for another meal. OR slice them into small strips for a snack.

If a pepper is a little wobbly in the casserole dish, slice the bottom a tiny bit so it sits flat 🫑

For healthier stuffed peppers, use leaner beef (or ground turkey) and drain the cooked meat fully. You can also add more veggies to the stuffing.

Watch the broiler! 🔥 Put your dish on middle rack (not top!) and keep an eye on it. A couple minutes is all you need. Also, make sure to turn on the broiler after your peppers have boiled, so the oven has time to heat up.

Nutrition