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30 Minute Thursday: Unstuffed Pepper Bake

This Unstuffed Pepper Bake features the classic ingredients of stuffed peppers, but in casserole form. Jam-packed with ground beef, green peppers, rice, and spices, this dish take just 30 minutes from start to finish!

This Unstuffed Pepper Bake features the classic ingredients of stuffed peppers, but in casserole form. Jam-packed with ground beef, green peppers, rice, and spices, this dish take just 30 minutes from start to finish!

Now that the weather is getting cooler and fall is officially in the air, I’m craving a lot of comfort food. Foods that are hearty and fill my house with a delicious aroma makes me appreciate the season even more. Knowing that the air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and I have a hot meal just waiting to be devoured signifies fall and all things deliciousness.

Although I do most of the cooking, the hubster often helps me and has a few signature dishes of his own. And one of those dishes just happens to be stuffed peppers. He has an old recipe, faded from use, and will make this dish once or twice a year. I love when he makes stuffed peppers because not only is it delicious, but it also gets me out of the kitchen. And I do like taking a break every now and then.

This Unstuffed Pepper Bake features the classic ingredients of stuffed peppers, but in casserole form. Jam-packed with ground beef, green peppers, rice, and spices, this dish take just 30 minutes from start to finish!
So when we were going over our meal plan a few weeks ago, I had the idea to take the hubster’s famous stuffed peppers and turn it into a casserole. Instead of baking the mixture inside green peppers, I wanted to make it all-in-one. And that’s where this Unstuffed Pepper Bake came from.

This Unstuffed Pepper Bake features the classic ingredients of stuffed peppers, but in casserole form. Jam-packed with ground beef, green peppers, rice, and spices, this dish take just 30 minutes from start to finish. It makes the perfect weeknight meal and is sure to cure your comfort food cravings. It’s also the second recipe in a series of 30 minute meals that I’m sharing with you on the first Thursday of every month, along with some of my other blogging friends!

If you’re looking for an easy dish that’s a breeze to whip up, then this Unstuffed Pepper Bake was made for you. Did I mention that it’s ready in just 30 minutes? And that includes the prep time, too. Which means that you can have this hearty and flavorful dish ready to devour in no time.

This Unstuffed Pepper Bake features the classic ingredients of stuffed peppers, but in casserole form. Jam-packed with ground beef, green peppers, rice, and spices, this dish take just 30 minutes from start to finish!
And the prep work couldn’t get any easier! Simply brown some ground beef and toss with green peppers and onions. Then add some marinara sauce, white rice, and cheese. Mix everything together and pop in into a casserole dish. Top the mixture with some bread crumbs and bake until browned and warmed through. And that’s it!

This Unstuffed Pepper Bake is filled with warm flavors and hearty ingredients. It makes the perfect dinner and even works well for leftovers. And that’s a winner in my book.

So if you’re looking for an easy meal, skip the stuffed peppers and try this Unstuffed Pepper Bake instead. It contains the classic ingredients, but takes less time to prepare. And trust me, this will be a new meal-time favorite in your house!

This Unstuffed Pepper Bake features the classic ingredients of stuffed peppers, but in casserole form. Jam-packed with ground beef, green peppers, rice, and spices, this dish take just 30 minutes from start to finish!
Looking for more 30 minute meals? I’ve got you covered!

Yields 4 servings

Unstuffed Pepper Bake

This Unstuffed Pepper Bake features the classic ingredients of stuffed peppers, but in casserole form. Jam-packed with ground beef, green peppers, rice, and spices, this dish take just 30 minutes from start to finish!

15 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 green peppers
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 1 jar (26 ounces) marinara sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare rice according to packaged directions.
  2. Dice green peppers and onions.
  3. In a large skillet, add ground beef, green peppers, and onion. Cook over medium heat until beef is no longer pink. Drain mixture and return to skillet.
  4. Add in rice, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and cheese.
  5. Spoon mixture into a baking dish.
  6. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and olive oil.
  7. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top of ground beef mixture.
  8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through and bread crumbs are golden.
  9. Remove from oven.
  10. Serve immediately.
  11. Enjoy!
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https://www.pumpkinnspice.com/unstuffed-pepper-bake/

Looking for more 30 minute meals? Then check out the recipes below from some of my favorite blogging friends!
30 Minute Thursday

Hazelnut Chicken One Pot Pasta by Bake. Eat. Repeat.

30-Minute Farro Fried “Rice” by Flavor the Moments

Cauliflower-Apple Fritters with Mixed Greens by Floating Kitchen

Veggie-Packed Peanut Noodles by Flying on Jess Fuel

Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula Pasta with Chickpeas by Kristine’s Kitchen

Alice Springs Shrimp Quesadilla by Maebells

Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Sun Dried Tomatoes and White Beans by Sweet Peas and Saffron

One-Pot Italian Chicken and Orzo Pasta by Whole & Heavenly Oven

This Unstuffed Pepper Bake features the classic ingredients of stuffed peppers, but in casserole form. Jam-packed with ground beef, green peppers, rice, and spices, this dish take just 30 minutes from start to finish!

Reader Interactions

  1. That's so funny! I just made stuffed peppers the other day. I love them, but your way is much faster and doesn't involve coring a pepper. Yay!
    Reply

  7. This is perfect for the colder weather we are having right now!Love stuffed peppers, but we almost never eat the peppers, just the stuffing :) Will definitely try the recipe!
    Reply

  13. This is a great idea taking all of the goodness of stuffed peppers and making it into a casserole! I love stuffed peppers, so I definitely need to try this!
    Reply

  17. This is such a great idea, Gayle! The stuffing is always the best part! And I think my husband would love this because he never really liked the pepper part, haha!
    Reply

  21. Yum! Love how easy this recipe is! I love making stuffed peppers but they do take a lot of time to bake. That's so sweet that your husband cooks for you, my husband tried to cook for me exactly once (and he ended up slicing open his finger in the process...)
    Reply

  25. Gayle, I saw this over social media and forgot to hop over yesterday! I love these 30 min Thursday recipes!!! and LOVE that you re-invented the stuffed bell pepper!!! Brilliant! I love casseroles in the fall and winter!!! love this!
    Reply

  30. Not going to lie that I kinda sorta love the name of this dish! We love stuffed peppers at our house but they can be too time consuming sometimes... this sounds perfect!
    Reply

  31. My husband makes dinner every once in a while too, and it's so nice to have a night off from cooking! Although he's really good about doing dish duty every night. :) I love stuffed peppers but they do take some effort, so I love that you've made them unstuffed and easier!
    Reply

    • Hi Leanne! I'm so sorry your rice came out crunchy! You do need to cook it according to the package directions and then mix in with the ground beef, as per the instructions for this recipe. So as long as you cooked the rice fully before you added it to the ground beef mixture, it should not have came out crunchy. Hope this helps! :)
      Reply

      • I thought it was odd not cooking the rice first haha. I have three little ones. My youngest is 2 months and he likes to cry when I'm not holding him. So I get frazzled sometimes.. I added some water and put it back in the oven. It was good but I'll do it right next time. Can't wait to try is again the right way!

      • I totally understand! Cooking can be such a task with kids sometimes, especially when they need to be held! :) Hopefully it will turn out a little better for you next time. I just made this dish last week (for the millionth time) and it's one of my favorites! :) Have a great day, Leanne!

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