This is perfect for when I find that I have too many peppers on hand, either from a bountiful garden harvest or from an overzealous, duplicate Costco purchase.
The original recipe is from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book under "Stuffed Green Peppers." When I search online, there are only different recipes from them for stuffed peppers, so I suppose they've updated it several times since my "new" cookbook was published in 1989! It's a classic, though, and so easy. We love it!
We make this version instead of stuffing the filling inside whole or half peppers, as is traditionally done. We like it better this way.
Of course, to feed my large family, we need a large quantity. The recipe appears below in two versions: the first is already doubled(ish), the second is already quadrupled(ish). The original is half of the first, and fits in one 11x7 pan. One of these years I suppose that size will be right again for just the two of us, but for now, it's large quantities around here.
Casserole for 4-6 (Makes one 9x13 pan.)
This is the original post from 2009.
3-4 sweet bell peppers, coarsely chopped into chunks
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 15-oz can tomatoes, undrained
2/3 C. long-grain rice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper (or SPG)
1-2 C. shredded cheese (calls for American; I use the 2 C. Kraft melting blend bag)
1. First, cook the meat and onion in a skillet and drain.
(Often, I cook large batches of meat ahead of time and freeze them in 2-lb. quantities. If I've done this, I'll thaw it out and just saute the onion in olive oil and combine them. I like this better because the onion retains its flavor better and I don't have to drain grease out of the meat on the cooking day.)
2. Stir in undrained tomatoes (smash them up in small pieces with your fingers), uncooked rice, Worcestershire, basil, 1 C. water, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. (I use 1 tsp. SPG)
3. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rice is tender (usually 20-30 mins.)
4. While that is cooking, I chop the peppers into chunks and generously line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with them. (You could easily half the recipe and use an 11x7 for a smaller family.) You want them on top of each other and almost halfway up the side of the pan. I always spray the pan first, but don't know if you'd really need to. By the time I finish getting the peppers ready, there are usually 5-10 minutes left on the timer for the meat mixture, so I put this pan of peppers in the preheated oven for a couple of minutes to soften them up just a bit.
5. When the meat/rice mix is ready, I stir in 1/2-1 C. of the cheese, then spoon the entire mixture on top of the peppers. I top with the remaining cheese from the package (usually about a cup) and put it back in the oven to melt the cheese. They originally suggest putting the meat mixture on it, baking it at 375 for 15-20 minutes, then topping it with cheese. I find that if I pre-soften the peppers just a tad the way I mentioned, this cooking time is overkill and I just go ahead and put the cheese on and stick it in the oven for a very few minutes until it is nicely melted. Everything else is hot and ready.
Casserole for a Crowd (Makes two 8x12 pans.)
This is a duplicate version I accidentally posted in 2015. It has morphed a bit over the years.
6-8 large sweet peppers of any color combination or variety
3 pounds ground hamburger (or combination of hamburger and Italian sausage)
1 large onion, diced
2 15-oz cans tomatoes, broken up (undrained)
1 1/2 C. long-grain white rice (uncooked)
1/4 C. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. dried basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning
2 C. water
2 tsp. SPG (homemade salt/pepper/garlic salt blend)
2 C. sharp cheese, shredded (I use a combination of sharp cheddar and parmesan, but any will do.)
1. Remove stems and guts from peppers, then cut into generously sized squares. Layer them in the bottom of 2 greased 8x12 pans. (If you're not going to pre-cook them a bit as indicated above, don't double them up too much or they won't cook well.)
2. Cook the meat(s) and onion until meat is done and onion is tender. Drain fat.
3. Stir in undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, Worcestershire, basil, water, SPG.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. Stir in 1 C. of the cheese. Spread this filling mixture on top of the uncooked peppers in your casserole dish(es).
6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until heated through and peppers are crisp-tender.
7. Top with remaining cheese and let stand 1-2 minutes before serving.
The original recipe is from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book under "Stuffed Green Peppers." When I search online, there are only different recipes from them for stuffed peppers, so I suppose they've updated it several times since my "new" cookbook was published in 1989! It's a classic, though, and so easy. We love it!
We make this version instead of stuffing the filling inside whole or half peppers, as is traditionally done. We like it better this way.
Of course, to feed my large family, we need a large quantity. The recipe appears below in two versions: the first is already doubled(ish), the second is already quadrupled(ish). The original is half of the first, and fits in one 11x7 pan. One of these years I suppose that size will be right again for just the two of us, but for now, it's large quantities around here.
Casserole for 4-6 (Makes one 9x13 pan.)
This is the original post from 2009.
3-4 sweet bell peppers, coarsely chopped into chunks
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 15-oz can tomatoes, undrained
2/3 C. long-grain rice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper (or SPG)
1-2 C. shredded cheese (calls for American; I use the 2 C. Kraft melting blend bag)
1. First, cook the meat and onion in a skillet and drain.
(Often, I cook large batches of meat ahead of time and freeze them in 2-lb. quantities. If I've done this, I'll thaw it out and just saute the onion in olive oil and combine them. I like this better because the onion retains its flavor better and I don't have to drain grease out of the meat on the cooking day.)
2. Stir in undrained tomatoes (smash them up in small pieces with your fingers), uncooked rice, Worcestershire, basil, 1 C. water, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. (I use 1 tsp. SPG)
3. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rice is tender (usually 20-30 mins.)
4. While that is cooking, I chop the peppers into chunks and generously line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with them. (You could easily half the recipe and use an 11x7 for a smaller family.) You want them on top of each other and almost halfway up the side of the pan. I always spray the pan first, but don't know if you'd really need to. By the time I finish getting the peppers ready, there are usually 5-10 minutes left on the timer for the meat mixture, so I put this pan of peppers in the preheated oven for a couple of minutes to soften them up just a bit.
5. When the meat/rice mix is ready, I stir in 1/2-1 C. of the cheese, then spoon the entire mixture on top of the peppers. I top with the remaining cheese from the package (usually about a cup) and put it back in the oven to melt the cheese. They originally suggest putting the meat mixture on it, baking it at 375 for 15-20 minutes, then topping it with cheese. I find that if I pre-soften the peppers just a tad the way I mentioned, this cooking time is overkill and I just go ahead and put the cheese on and stick it in the oven for a very few minutes until it is nicely melted. Everything else is hot and ready.
Casserole for a Crowd (Makes two 8x12 pans.)
This is a duplicate version I accidentally posted in 2015. It has morphed a bit over the years.
6-8 large sweet peppers of any color combination or variety
3 pounds ground hamburger (or combination of hamburger and Italian sausage)
1 large onion, diced
2 15-oz cans tomatoes, broken up (undrained)
1 1/2 C. long-grain white rice (uncooked)
1/4 C. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. dried basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning
2 C. water
2 tsp. SPG (homemade salt/pepper/garlic salt blend)
2 C. sharp cheese, shredded (I use a combination of sharp cheddar and parmesan, but any will do.)
1. Remove stems and guts from peppers, then cut into generously sized squares. Layer them in the bottom of 2 greased 8x12 pans. (If you're not going to pre-cook them a bit as indicated above, don't double them up too much or they won't cook well.)
2. Cook the meat(s) and onion until meat is done and onion is tender. Drain fat.
3. Stir in undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, Worcestershire, basil, water, SPG.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. Stir in 1 C. of the cheese. Spread this filling mixture on top of the uncooked peppers in your casserole dish(es).
6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until heated through and peppers are crisp-tender.
7. Top with remaining cheese and let stand 1-2 minutes before serving.
