The Best Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a deliciously easy and tasty dinner recipe! Ground beef, rice, tomatoes, garlic, cheese and seasonings! No need to even boil the rice first!
Preheat oven to 350F degrees and spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large skillet (with high sides) over medium-high heat, add 2 pounds ground beef, 2 green bell peppers, diced and 1 medium onion, diced. Cook and crumble the ground beef until no longer pink and the peppers and onions are soft. Turn off heat.
Drain excess grease from meat and put back into the skillet. Add in 4 cloves garlic, minced, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 3 Tablespoons tomato paste, 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, 3 cups beef broth and 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice.
Stir this mixture really well and place into prepared baking dish.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and put into preheated oven. Bake for about an hour. Stir the mixture halfway through to ensure all the rice gets evenly cooked. Casserole is done once the rice is completely cooked so overtimes do vary.
Remove the casserole and top with 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Place back into the oven for about 5-7 minutes for the cheese to get completely melted.
Then serve!
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Notes
Try using one pound ground beef and one pound ground Italian sausage for a kick of flavor.
If you don't like it quite as "beefy" - just use one pound of meat instead of two.
A can of petite diced tomatoes can be substituted for the regular diced tomatoes. You can also find diced tomatoes that have basil, oregano and garlic seasoning which will also add more flavor.
Don't like green bell peppers? Try yellow or orange peppers for a milder flavor.
This casserole would be delicious served with a side salad or maybe some Garlic Bread.
Do not use brown rice or any other wild rice, etc. for this recipe. It won't turn out properly.