• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Recipe Runner

Eat Well - Run Happy

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Running
    • Training Tip Tuesday
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Disclosure & Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Tools

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

October 19, 2020 by Danae 18 Comments

Jump to Recipe
814shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Switch up traditional stuffed peppers and make this easy stuffed casserole instead! All the flavors you love about stuffed peppers, but made in one pan and on the table in 30 minutes. 

Overhead photo of a metal skillet full of the stuffed pepper casserole. It's made with ground turkey, rice, tomato sauce, red and yellow bell peppers and topped with melted cheese. This recipe and photos have been updated since the original post on 9/26/2014

Stuffed peppers are one of my go-to dinners when I can’t decide what to make. I love that you can stuff them with almost any combination of flavors and ingredients that you like. One of my favorite stuffed pepper recipes are these Mexican quinoa stuffed peppers.

My only complaint about stuffed peppers is that they do take a while to bake since you’re roasting a whole pepper. On days where you’re short on time or when you’re looking to change up the stuffed pepper routine, try making this stuffed pepper casserole instead! It’s all made in one pan and primarily cooks on the stove top. 

Overhead photo of a sheet pan full of the ingredients needed to make stuffed pepper casserole. Ground turkey, rice, peppers, onion, spices, shredded cheese, tomatoes sauce and diced tomatoes.

Ingredients Needed to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole

  • Lean ground turkey 
  • Yellow onion
  • Garlic
  • Bell peppers
  • Italian seasoning, dried oregano, smoked paprika
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Tomato sauce
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Cooked brown rice
  • Colby Jack or cheese of choice

closeup photo of a wooden spoon holding some of the ground turkey stuffed pepper casserole with melted cheese on top.

How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Unless you want to transfer this casserole into a casserole dish, you can make it entirely in an oven safe skillet. Start by sauté the onion, garlic, peppers and ground turkey together with some olive oil. Season the mixture with all of the spices and cook everything until the turkey is crumbled and no longer pink. 

Overhead photo of a metal skillet full of the stuffed pepper casserole. It's made with ground turkey, rice, tomato sauce, red and yellow bell peppers and topped with melted cheese. A wooden serving spoon is in the skillet.Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar and rice, then stir everything together. At this point you can top the casserole with the shredded cheese and a piece of foil or a lid and bake it in the oven until for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil or lid and broil for a few minutes so that the cheese gets lightly browned and crisp. 

closeup photo of a wooden spoon holding some of the ground turkey stuffed pepper casserole with melted cheese on top.

Tips and FAQ

Time Saving Tip – If you don’t have any leftover cooked rice and don’t have the time to cook any, I recommend buying a couple packages par-cooked rice that you heat up in the microwave for a couple minutes. I use these frequently and they’re a great time saver. This Seeds of Change brand is my favorite.

Can I Use Ground Beef? Yes, lean ground beef will work great in place of the ground turkey. You can also use ground chicken or even a mixture of Italian turkey/chicken sausage along with ground turkey.

Metal skillet with stuffed pepper casserole in it. Melted cheese on top and a wooden spoon lifting up some of the casserole.What Can I Use Instead of Brown Rice? White rice, quinoa, farro or pretty much whatever whole grain you like can be used. 

Does the Stuffed Pepper Casserole Need to be Baked? No. If you want to skip the baking, cover the pan with a lid and simmer on low for about 15 minutes or until it thickens. Add the cheese on top and cook for another 5 minutes or until it melts. The only difference between baking and not will be that you won’t have the crisp cheese on top from broiling.

Stuffed pepper casserole Pinterest collage. Closeup photo of a spoonful of the casserole on top and an overhead photo of the casserole in a metal skillet with a wooden serving spoon in it on the bottom.

Continue to Content
Overhead photo of a metal skillet full of the stuffed pepper casserole. It's made with ground turkey, rice, tomato sauce, red and yellow bell peppers and topped with melted cheese. A wooden serving spoon is in the skillet.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Yield: 4-5 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Classic stuffed peppers get a makeover in this easy to make casserole!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
  • 2 bell peppers, diced
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese or cheese of choice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet sprayed over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, peppers and ground turkey and crumble it. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, oregano and smoked paprika. Sauté for 5-7 minutes or until the turkey is no longer pink and the vegetables have softened.
  2. Add in the balsamic vinegar, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and rice and stir everything together. Top with the shredded cheese then cover the skillet with a lid or a piece of foil and place the skillet in the oven.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes covered then remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes uncovered. Top the casserole with chopped parsley if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 7gSugar: 8gProtein: 43g
© Danae Halliday
Category: Skillet + One Pot Meals

More Stuffed Peppers Recipes

Creamy Chicken, Spinach and Rice Stuffed Pepper with fork pulling out a bite.Creamy, Chicken, Spinach and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Mediterranean Stuffed yellow pepper in a white dish topped with tomatoes, feta and pine nuts.Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

six Cheesy Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Stuffed Peppers in a white casserole dishCheesy Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Stuffed Peppers

814shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

You may also like:

  • Sweet Potato "Pasta" Bake | Skip traditional pasta and use spiralized sweet potatoes for a healthier twist on cheesy baked pasta! {gluten free}
    Sweet Potato “Pasta” Bake
  • Crisp, baked chicken wings with the most wonderful sweet and spicy orange glaze! These Sesame Orange Chicken Wings are perfect for game day or your next party!
    Sesame Orange Baked Chicken Wings
  • Chicken Enchilada Pizza

Filed Under: Casseroles, Skillet + One Pot Meals Tagged With: beef, casserole, Cheese, Dinner, Gluten Free, peppers, rice

Previous Post: « Rosemary Cheddar Mashed Potato Casserole
Next Post: Butternut Squash Sausage and Ricotta Pizza »

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Danae! Welcome to Recipe Runner. This blog is all about my love of food, cooking, baking, and running. I hope that I can tempt you with my recipes and inspire you with my running stories! Enjoy! Read More ↝

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

You can unsubscribe anytime by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of emails you receive.

Recipe Runner Favorites

Overhead photo of Cranberry Orange Yogurt Cake on parchment paper with cranberries scattered around it and a jar of the glaze behind it.
vanilla and chocolate pizzelles scattered on top of each other and dusted with powdered sugar.
chai ginger cookies drizzled with white glaze scattered on a countertop. A spoon of chai spice next to them and bowl of the glaze.
A slice of Crustless Vegetable Quiche on a white plate with a fork.
Overhead photo of ten Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies. One is broken in half.
White bowl with Turkey Taco Soup in it. Topped with melted cheese, avocado and green onions.
Vegan Pumpkin Streusel Bread with three slices cut and lying in front of the loaf.
Creamy Chickpea Noodle Casserole with a breadcrumb topping in a metal skillet with a wooden spoon in the skillet.

Footer

Reader Favorites

Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans topped with melted cheese in a cast iron Skillet with a wooden serving spoon in the skillet.

Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet

Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce | Delicious and healthy Greek chicken skewers with a sauce you'll want to slather on everything!

Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce

Metal skillet filled with ground turkey, rice, zucchini, tomatoes and cheese. Wooden spoon scooping some out of the skillet.

Southwest Turkey, Vegetable and Rice Skillet

Cranberry Vanilla Energy Bites | These healthy energy bites are gluten-free, vegan, paleo and bursting with cranberry and vanilla flavors!

Cranberry Vanilla Energy Bites

Copyright © 2021 · Designed by Snixy Kitchen · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework

This site uses cookies to help provide the best user experience. Find out more.