Italian Style Stuffed Peppers

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Italian Style Stuffed Peppers is a classic dish that is often served as a main course or as a side dish. The dish consists of bell peppers that are halved and seeded, and then filled with a mixture of ground chicken and a blend of Italian herbs and spices.

Love these stuffed peppers? Try my Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup and my Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup for more great pepper recipes!

Italian style stuffed peppers are a delicious and hearty dish that combines the sweetness of bell peppers with a variety of savory Italian flavors. They are typically made by stuffing the peppers with a mixture of ground meat, along with herbs, spices, and cheese. The stuffed peppers are then baked in the oven until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through.

They can be served as a main dish or as a side dish and can be paired with a variety of different sauces, such as marinara or a creamy Alfredo. This dish is a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, with the bell peppers providing a natural sweetness and the meat and spices providing a rich and complex flavor.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• The dish is very flavorful and satisfying. The combination of sweet bell peppers, savory meat, and a blend of Italian herbs and spices creates a delicious and well-balanced taste.
• The recipe is versatile and can be easily customized to suit your tastes. You can experiment with different meats, such as ground beef or pork, or add in other ingredients like breadcrumbs, rice, or vegetables to make it your own.
• It is a healthy and well-balanced dish. The peppers provide a good source of vitamins and minerals, while the meat and other ingredients provide protein, carbohydrates, and other essential nutrients.
• It is a perfect dish for entertaining or for feeding a crowd. It can be prepared in advance, and then baked in the oven when your guests arrive.
• It's a great way to enjoy a comforting and classic Italian dish, without having to go out to a restaurant. It’s easy to make, and the ingredients are widely available and affordable.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Bell Peppers: The peppers are the base of the dish, they are hollowed out and stuffed with the filling. They come in different colors like green, red, yellow and orange.
• Ground Chicken: A lean protein that is used as the main filling for the peppers. It can be substituted with ground beef or pork if desired.
• Diced Tomatoes: Adds a nice acidic flavor to the dish and provide a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant.
• Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt, & Pepper: These seasonings give the dish a lot of flavor and depth. They add a nice savory flavor to the dish.
• Italian Seasoning: A blend of herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary and thyme, that provide a classic Italian flavor to the dish.
• Tomato Sauce & Worcestershire Sauce: These ingredients add a nice tangy flavor to the dish, and provide a nice balance to the sweetness of the bell peppers.
• Long Grain Rice: Used as a filler to bulk up the filling and make it more satisfying.
• Mozzarella Cheese: Used as a topping on the stuffed peppers and it provides a nice creamy texture and a delicious flavor.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2:

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Then parboil them. To parboil the peppers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add peppers to the boiling water and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Remove peppers from boiling water and arrange in baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward.

Step 3:

In a large skillet, brown the ground chicken over medium heat. Drain off any excess fat.

Step 4:

Add diced tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.

Step 5:

Stir in the cooked rice into the skillet and mix well.

Step 6:

Stuff the bell peppers with the chicken mixture and place them in a baking dish.

Step 7:

Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the baking dish, to prevent the peppers from drying out.

Step 8:

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.

Step 9:

Remove the foil from the dish, and top the peppers with shredded mozzarella cheese. Return the dish to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!

Expert Tips

• To make the recipe even more flavorful, try adding some chopped onion or mushrooms to the filling mixture.
• If you like your stuffed peppers to have a little bit of crunch, only partially cook the bell peppers before stuffing them.
• To make the dish more substantial, you can add some cooked quinoa, couscous or bulgur wheat to the filling.
• To make the dish more creamy, you can add some ricotta cheese or cream cheese to the filling.
• To make the dish spicier, you can add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the filling.
• To make the dish gluten-free, you can replace the Worcestershire sauce with a gluten-free alternative, or use a gluten-free grain like quinoa or millet instead of rice.
• You can also add some chopped parsley or basil as a garnish before serving for a fresh and flavorful touch.

Variations

• Meatless: You can make a vegetarian version of this dish by using a meat substitute such as crumbled tofu or tempeh, or even lentils or chickpeas as the main filling.
• Cheesy: You can add more cheese to the filling or even stuff the pepper with a small amount of fresh mozzarella cheese before adding the rice mixture.
• Mediterranean: You can add some Mediterranean flavors to the dish by using ground lamb or pork instead of chicken, and adding some chopped fresh herbs like mint, oregano, and parsley to the filling.
• Spicy: You can make the dish spicier by adding some diced chili pepper or hot sauce to the filling.
• Mexican: You can make a Mexican-inspired version of this dish by using ground beef or pork as the filling, and adding some diced onion, garlic, cumin, and chili powder to the mixture. Top the peppers with shredded cheddar cheese before baking.
• Spanish: You can make a Spanish-inspired version of this dish by using ground pork or chorizo as the filling, and adding some diced onion, garlic, smoked paprika, and saffron to the mixture. Top the peppers with manchego cheese before baking.
• Greek: You can make a Greek-inspired version of this dish by using ground lamb or pork as the filling, and adding some diced onion, garlic, oregano, and feta cheese to the mixture.

Storing & Freezing

Storing: You can store peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezing: To freeze the stuffed peppers, first let them cool completely. Then, place them in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. Make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Reheating: To reheat frozen peppers, take them out of the freezer and thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, then place the peppers in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

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Italian Style Stuffed Peppers

Erika

Italian style stuffed peppers are a classic and beloved dish that is often served as a main course or as a side dish. The dish consists of bell peppers that are halved and seeded, and then filled with a mixture of ground chicken and a blend of Italian herbs and spices. These peppers are a flavorful and satisfying dish that is sure to please.

5 from 16 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 246 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Ceramic Non-Stick Covered Frypan
• ▢
  Oval Baking Dish, 14x9.5x2.5
• ▢
  Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6 bell peppers any color
• ▢ 1 pound ground chicken
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• ▢ 16 ounce can tomato sauce divided
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ ½ cup cooked long grain rice leftover rice works great
• ▢ ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

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Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Then parboil them. To parboil the peppers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add peppers to the boiling water and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Remove peppers from boiling water and arrange in baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward.
• In a large skillet, brown the ground chicken over medium heat. Drain off any excess fat.
• Add diced tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the cooked rice into the skillet and mix well.
• Stuff the bell peppers with the chicken mixture and place them in a baking dish.
• Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the baking dish, to prevent the peppers from drying out.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
• Remove the foil from the dish, and top the peppers with shredded mozzarella cheese. Return the dish to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Notes

• To make the recipe even more flavorful, try adding some chopped onion or mushrooms to the filling mixture.
• If you like your stuffed peppers to have a little bit of crunch, only partially cook the bell peppers before stuffing them.
• To make the dish more substantial, you can add some cooked quinoa, couscous or bulgur wheat to the filling.
• To make the dish more creamy, you can add some ricotta cheese or cream cheese to the filling.
• To make the dish spicier, you can add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the filling.
• To make the dish gluten-free, you can replace the Worcestershire sauce with a gluten-free alternative, or use a gluten-free grain like quinoa or millet instead of rice.
• You can also add some chopped parsley or basil as a garnish before serving for a fresh and flavorful touch.
• Storing: You can store peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: To freeze the stuffed peppers, first let them cool completely. Then, place them in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. Make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: To reheat frozen peppers, take them out of the freezer and thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, then place the peppers in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 21gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 799mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7g

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

Keyword Italian Style Stuffed Peppers

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