This simple stuffed pepper casserole has all of the flavors of stuffed bell peppers baked right into a hearty one-pot meal. It’s made with tender rice, juicy floor turkey, and loads of veggies!
In the event you’re a fan of comforting casseroles, you’ll additionally love my floor beef casserole and Reuben casserole—each are filled with daring flavors and straightforward to make for a crowd.
This simple recipe is brimming with veggies, floor turkey, juicy tomatoes, rice, and cheese. Mainly, all of the elements and flavors present in a traditional stuffed pepper served in a scrumptious one-pot casserole. Subsequent to turkey meatballs, this recipe is considered one of my favourite methods to make use of floor turkey for dinner.
Let’s face it—some nights name for a tidy, knife-and-fork stuffed pepper state of affairs, and different nights? Nicely, life occurs, and that’s the place this casserole shines. Consider it as stuffed peppers, simplified. No scooping, no stuffing, simply hearty, comforting flavors baked collectively in a single dish. It’s like my jambalaya stuffed peppers or quinoa stuffed peppers, however even simpler! And for these further chaotic days, my crockpot stuffed peppers have you ever coated.
Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- One-pot. Make this tacky stuffed pepper casserole on the stovetop multi functional pan utilizing a big skillet or Dutch oven. This deconstructed model is ideal for last-minute cooks who nonetheless need a dinner that feels selfmade, satisfying, and filled with taste.
- Recent & flavorful. You’ll use a couple of pantry staples, plus contemporary peppers, veggies, rice, and protein to show a traditional dish into this hearty all-in-one dinner.
- Versatile. Maintain it gentle, make it spicy, and adapt elements like meats and veggies to fit your style or dietary wants.
Recipe Elements
Listed below are a few of the key elements together with my notes. Don’t neglect to scroll to the recipe card for the complete ingredient checklist.
- Onion and Bell Peppers – I exploit a yellow onion, plus each purple and inexperienced peppers. White onion additionally works.
- Lean Floor Turkey – You’ll be able to swap turkey for floor hen or lean floor beef.
- Marinara Sauce – Select your favourite jarred marinara sauce from the shop.
- Hen Inventory – Or hen broth, however you may as well use vegetable inventory.
- Rice – Lengthy-grain white rice, like basmati or jasmine rice, works finest.
- Cheese – I high this casserole with an Italian cheese mix, however you need to use any selection or mixture of grated melty cheese you’d like. Sharp cheddar and Pepper Jack, or milder Monterey Jack and mozzarella are additionally good selections.
The way to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Seize a big, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven with a lid. Then, it’s a matter of bringing the elements collectively. Right here’s a fast how-to. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for extra detailed directions.
- Sauté the greens. Add the onions and bell peppers to the pot with a little bit of oil and a sprinkle of salt. Sauté till the veggies have softened, then stir within the garlic.
- Brown the turkey. Add the bottom turkey, breaking it up because it browns. Don’t neglect an additional seasoning of salt and black pepper.
- Make the sauce. Stir in your marinara sauce and tomatoes, together with the hen inventory and herbs. Warmth the sauce after which depart it to simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Prepare dinner the rice. Stir within the rice and let it cook dinner, coated, till the rice grains are tender.
- Soften the cheese. Take the pot off the warmth, elevate the lid, and sprinkle your shredded cheese mix in an excellent layer over high of the casserole. Afterward, shut the lid once more and let the casserole sit whereas the cheese melts.
- Serve. Garnish your stuffed pepper casserole with contemporary chopped parsley and dig in.
Ideas & Variation Concepts
- Fireplace-roasted tomatoes. I like how these add further taste, however they aren’t 100% obligatory. One other good possibility is a can of Rotel, or you need to use a can of normal diced tomatoes.
- Let the casserole relaxation. Not solely does resting give the cheese sufficient time to soften, but it surely additionally lets the flavors come collectively and makes the casserole simpler to serve.
- Use one other protein. Make this casserole with any sort of floor meat you’d like, together with floor hen, floor beef, or floor sausage. In the event you use floor beef, I like to recommend utilizing lean meat.
- Make it meatless. In the event you’d prefer to make this a vegetarian casserole, use 2 cans of beans or chickpeas.
- Add extra greens and greens. Good choices are child spinach, diced zucchini like in my beef zucchini casserole, mushrooms, chopped kale, and celery.
- Worcestershire sauce. You’ll be able to add a small splash for some wealthy umami taste.
- Seasonings. For a unique taste profile, strive flavoring this casserole with an herb and seasoning mix, like taco seasoning or Cajun spice.
- Cheese. As an alternative of utilizing an Italian cheese mix on high you can additionally use a shredded Mexican cheese mix or cheddar cheese.
Serving Options
The most effective issues about this stuffed pepper casserole recipe is that it’s principally a whole meal by itself. However if you wish to serve one thing on the aspect, you may make some fluffy dinner rolls or a easy salad. I really like this avocado salad and this broccoli cauliflower salad.
For a refreshing distinction, pair it with my selfmade frosted lemonade or white sangria, and end the meal with one thing candy like my apple oatmeal cookies or peach cobbler for dessert.
Can I Make This Casserole Forward of Time?
You’ll be able to put together the entire casserole forward and retailer it (see beneath), or you may get the bottom turkey and veggie combination prepared prematurely. After the veggies are softened and the turkey is browned, retailer the combination hermetic for 1-2 days, or freeze it for as much as 3 months. Once you’re prepared to complete the casserole, warmth the combination on the range and proceed with the recipe as directed.
The way to Retailer and Reheat Extras
- Fridge: Retailer any leftover casserole hermetic within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat single servings within the microwave till scorching all through.
- Freezer: This casserole freezes effectively. Retailer leftovers in an hermetic, freezer-safe container and freeze them for as much as 3 months. Defrost the casserole within the fridge in a single day earlier than reheating.
Extra Floor Turkey Recipes
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Sauté the greens. Warmth the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 10 to 12-inch rimmed pan or saucepan over medium warmth. Add the onions and bell peppers, season with salt, and sauté for 4 minutes or till the onion is translucent and the bell peppers have softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 15 seconds or till fragrant.
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Brown the turkey. Add the turkey to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook dinner it for about 7 to eight minutes or till browned, breaking it up as you go.
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Make the sauce. Stir within the marinara sauce, tomatoes, hen inventory, contemporary parsley, and oregano. Carry the sauce to a boil after which cut back the warmth to low. Enable the sauce to simmer for five minutes.
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Prepare dinner the rice. Stir within the rice, put a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan, and let the rice cook dinner for 20 minutes or till tender.
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Soften the cheese. Flip the warmth off. Take away the lid, scatter the cheese evenly over the combination, return the lid to the saucepan, and let stand for five minutes or till the cheese has melted.
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Serve. Garnish the stuffed pepper casserole with contemporary parsley and serve with a inexperienced salad.
Serving: 2cups | Energy: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 36g | Fats: 13g | Saturated Fats: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 6g | Trans Fats: 0.02g | Ldl cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1008mg | Potassium: 723mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1648IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might range in keeping with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
