Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers
Easy slow cooker stuffed bell peppers recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Full of ground beef, rice, marinara, Italian herbs, cheese.
This meal is so beautiful to serve and equally delicious. These Crockpot Sausage And Peppers and Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole are also hearty, family-friendly meal options to help you through the busy seasons of life where standing over a stove is not really an option.
How To Make Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe From Scratch?
- Cook beef and onions– Until meat is no longer pink.
- Drain grease– After removing from heat.
- Mix in ingredients– This includes marinara sauce, cooked rice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning.
- Stuff bell peppers– With this filling.
- Fill bottom of crockpot– With marinara sauce and leftover filling.
- Cover- And cook.
- Sprinkle cheese– And cook further until it’s melted.
Do You Have To Boil Peppers Before Stuffing Them?
No, you do not need to do this. They cook long enough in the slow cooker to become soft. It is also easier to stuff them if you do it when they are still raw because they are firm.
Why are my peppers watery?
This is often caused by too much liquid, or because the peppers weren’t patted dry after washing. Make sure to dry off any excess water from the peppers because they will release a little more water as they cook.
How Long Does It Take To Soften Peppers in Slow Cooker?
Cook them on Low Heat for 4 hours.
What To Serve With Easy Crockpot Stuffed Peppers With Rice And Cheese?
This works as a main dish on its own but you can also add a few sides to make it even more filling.
Vegetables–
- Salad
- Roasted vegetables
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Cream Of Broccoli Soup
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
Bread–
- Cornbread
- Tortilla chips
- Garlic bread
- Breadsticks
- Dinner rolls
- Biscuit
Variations For Stuffed Green Pepper
Vegan/Vegetarian stuffed peppers– Leave out the ground beef and fill with more rice, or even use mushrooms in place of beef. Also, do not top with cheese or use vegan cheese instead.
Mexican peppers– Use Mexican seasoning, add black beans, corn, cilantro, and jalapenos if you like.
Chicken peppers– Use ground chicken in place of ground beef.
Turkey peppers– Substitute ground turkey for the ground beef.
Quinoa peppers– Use cooked quinoa in place of rice in the filling.
Sausage peppers– Use mild or spicy ground Italian sausage in addition to or in place of the ground beef.
Greek peppers– Use Greek seasonings and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg to make the filling have a Greek flair and replace cheddar cheese with feta cheese.
Use cauliflower rice– If you want a low-carb version swap out regular rice for cauliflower rice.
Add mushrooms– Brown and dice your favorite mushroom and add it to the filling.
Top it– With avocado, Greek yogurt, or fresh herbs like cilantro or basil.
Make it spicy– Add red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or jalapeno slices for some heat.
Tips And Techniques
Drain grease– Because the stuffing will be too oily, runny, and greasy if you don’t drain it.
Sometimes the green pepper can become bitter during cooking– This doesn’t always happen, but if you want to avoid the possibility then use red and orange peppers. They taste great and are remain unaffected by bitterness.
Use cooked rice– Uncooked rice will not work in this recipe. It won’t cook properly so make sure to use cooked rice.
Make sure to line the bottom of the crockpot with sauce and extra filling– Because this prevents the bell peppers from burning on the bottom.
Make sure to wash and pat the peppers dry– Any extra liquid will make the peppers watery and the filling runny.
Why isn’t my cheese brown on top? After adding the cheese, I was running out of time and decided to broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes to allow cheese to melt. Thus, you will see the dark spots on and around the cheese in the pictures. This won’t happen if you melt cheese in slow cooker, as per the instructions stated in this recipe card.
When do you add cheese to the peppers? In the final 30 minutes, sprinkle shredded cheese on top of each bell pepper.
Storage
Refrigerate– In a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Freeze– In an air-tight container for up to 2 months.
Reheat– In the microwave.
More Slow Cooker Ground Beef Recipes
- Slow Cooker Frito Pie (Chili Pie)
- Slow Cooker Taco Meat (Ground Beef)
- Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
- Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy
Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 1 cup Onion, Finely chopped
- 1 jar Marinara sauce, 23 oz. jar
- 1.5 cups Cooked rice, Any kind of rice, Can be leftovers
- Salt, To taste
- Pepper, To taste
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 5 Bell peppers, Any color you like, Washed, Patted dry, tops cut off
- 1 cup Shredded cheese, Full fat, Can use Mozzarella or Cheddar or Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
- Add ground beef, onion and cook for a few minutes until meat is no longer pink.
- Remove from heat and drain grease.
- Add 1 cup marinara sauce, cooked rice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning.
- Mix until combined.
- Stuff bell peppers with this beef filling. You may have some leftovers.
- Add remaining marinara sauce and leftover filling at the bottom of a large crockpot (6 quart or larger).
- Mix until combined.
- Place the stuffed peppers on top of the sauce.
- Cover and cook on Low heat for about 4 hours or until the bell peppers are tender.
- In the final 30 minutes, sprinkle shredded cheese on top of each bell pepper.
- Continue cooking on Low heat until cheese is melted. Note: After adding cheese, I was running out of time and decided to broil in oven for 2-3 minutes to allow cheese to melt. Thus, you will see the dark spots on and around the cheese in the pictures. This won't happen if you melt cheese in slow cooker, as per the instructions stated in this recipe card.
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.
