Ground Beef and Mini Peppers Recipes

Stuffed Mini Peppers with Beef Rice are my kid's favorite Stuffed Peppers Recipe. They are filled with a flavorful mixture of fluffy rice and delicious beef, then oven-cooked until tender perfection. Top with cheese for melty perfection or sour cream for extra creaminess.

Also, check this super popular Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Casserole – it's so easy!

Potluck and Party Favorite Mini Stuffed Peppers

When thinking of something interesting to bring to the next party or get together, think of these Baby Stuffed Peppers. They take all the inconvenience of trying to cut a large pepper into portions and instead give you perfect bites that can feed a large crowd with ease and aesthetic pleasure. They get rave reviews every time I make them!

If you just want a beef and rice dinner faster, do try this Beef Rice Pilaf (Plov) – it's my husband's favorite!

Can this Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe be scaled for Large Peppers?

Use the same filling for either large or small peppers. If using regularly sized bell peppers you will need about 8 to 9 of them.

Best Peppers to use in the Mini Peppers Recipe

The most commonly found mini peppers in a variety of colors are best for this recipe. I get mine from Costco and they're available year round.

But if you find some baby Sweet Hungarian peppers at your local farmer's market, they will be just fine as well. That is what I used in my step by step photos.

Substitute for Beef

In this recipe, you can use any kind of ground meat you wish. Something with a little more fat content is preferred (like pork or chicken thighs), but even chicken breast or turkey will work too. If you have breakfast sausage, you can use that as well.

Alright now, thank you for following along, commenting and sharing my recipes! I appreciate your visit and hope that this recipe will become your favorite just like it has been my family's!

How to Make Stuffed Mini Peppers

• Start by precooking the rice – for this, combine rice, chicken broth or water, and some salt in a saucepot, cover with a lid and cook until all water is evaporated. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool slightly.
• Next, brown diced onions in a couple of tbsp of oil, then add the carrots and sauté together for a couple of minutes. Next, add the diced tomatoes and pressed garlic. Cover with lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Allow the mixture cool to room temperature.

• While the carrots and onions are cooking, thoroughly clean peppers with a brush under running water. Hollow out the peppers and remove the seeds.
  In a bowl combine the precooked rice, the vegetable mixture, ground beef, spices and seasoning until well mixed.

How to Stuff and Bake the Sweet Mini Stuffed Peppers

• Stuff each mini pepper with the beef rice mixture and set in a 9 x 12 baking dish. You can use a teaspoon to stuff the peppers, or fill a large gallon sized ziplock bag, snip the tip and squeeze the filling into the peppers.

• Fill the dish around the peppers with seasoned chicken broth until the peppers are submerged half way. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in a preheated to 350F oven for about 45 minutes or until the rice and the peppers are soft.

• Sprinkle with cheese and return back to the oven for several minutes for the cheese to melt. Transfer to the table and serve.

This is an optional step but does add a lot of flavor. This creamy tomato sauce mixture can be used to top the peppers when serving.

How to make the Creamy Tomato Sauce

• In a skillet heat some oil, add onions and sauté until lightly golden. Add the carrots and cook covered with a lid for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the diced tomatoes and water or wine and cook with the lid on until the tomatoes are well softened about 5-7 minutes. Next add the cream, sour cream and garlic and gently simmer to reduce slightly. Season with salt and pepper, stir.

Serve the pepper by spooning the Creamy Tomato Mixture on top of the peppers.

Looking for more PEPPER recipes? Here's a couple to keep your menu delicious!

• Spicy Slow Cooker Beef Pepper
• Pickled Mini Bell Pepper Recipe
• Sausage Pepper Fettuccine Skillet

Stuffed Mini Peppers with Beef Rice

Stuffed Mini Peppers with Beef Rice is my kid's favorite Stuffed Peppers Recipe. They are filled with a flavorful mixture of fluffy rice and delicious beef, then oven-cooked until tender perfection. Top with cheese for melty perfection or sour cream for extra creaminess.

Precooked Rice Ingredients

• 1 cup round rice , rinsed until water runs clear
• 1 cup broth
• 1/2 tsp salt

Stuffed Mini Peppers Filling

• 1 lb beef chuck, ground
• 1 onion , diced
• 1 carrot , shredded
• 2 tomatoes diced (can be replaced with 6 oz of tomato sauce)
• 4 lb mini bell peppers , assorted colors
• 1.5 tsp salt (kosher)
• 1 tsp black ground pepper
• 3 cloves garlic (pressed)
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, (shredded)

Creamy Tomato Sauce (optional)

• 1 onion, medium size (diced)
• 1 carrot, medium size (shredded)
• 3 tomatoes, (diced)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 tsp salt, kosher (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp black ground pepper

For garnish

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

How to make Stuffed Mini Peppers

1. Get all of your ingredients ready, by measuring, cutting and chopping what needs to be chopped.

2. Parboil the rice - add the rice, broth and salt to a medium sized saucepot, cover with lid and bring to a boil.

   Cook for about 10 minutes or until the water evaporates. Open the lid, fluff with a fork, transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool. The rice will not be cooked all the way, and that's OK.

3. Wash the baby peppers with a brush under running water. Next, trim off the tops with the stems and hallow out the inside from the membranes and seeds.

Make the Filling for the Mini Peppers

1. Saute vegetables:

   Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add diced onions and saute until golden in color, stirring oftenb(~5 minutes).

   Next, add the shredded carrots, stir and saute another 5-10 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, pressed garlic and cook covered with a lid until the tomatoes are well softened (~10 minutes).

2. Combine the filling: To the bowl with rice add the sauteed vegetables, ground beef, parsley, salt, black pepper, and paprika. Stir until combined.

3. Fill the cavity of the peppers with the ground beef and rice mixture from the previous step. There are two ways to do it: with a spoon or by piping it from a pastry bag.

   To use a pastry bag fill a large pastry bag with the prepared beef/rice filling, snip about 1/2" of the tip and use it to push the filling into each pepper. Place all the peppers into a 9in x12in baking dish. Once the dish is full you can arrange them in rows if you'd like. Having it partially full helps with arranging them.

4. Make the cooking liquid: Dissolve the salt in the broth and bring it to a boil to speed up cooking. Pour the seasoned broth around the peppers until it comes halfway to the peppers. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350F° for about 45 minutes or until the rice and peppers are soft.

Make the Creamy Tomato Sauce

1. While the peppers are baking prepare the sauce.

   Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add the diced onions and saute over medium heat until slightly browned, stirring often (~about 5-10 minutes).

2. Next, add the carrots and saute another 5 minutes with the lid on. Follow by adding the tomatoes, wine and garlic and cook/simmer with the lid on until the tomatoes are almost puree-like, about 10 minutes.

3. Lastly, turn the heat down to low, add 1 cup of sour cream and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. If the mixture thickened too much, add cream or broth to thin. If it got too thin, continue cooking until it reduces. Finish by seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve the Stuffed Bell Peppers

1. Add 6-7 baby bell peppers to a bowl, then top with the creamy tomato sauce mixture or some sour cream. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Substitute for beef-

• chicken breast/thighs, ground pork, ground turkey or breakfast sausage.

Crock Pot Cooking Time -

• Instead of baking the Stuffed Mini Peppers can be cooked in the crock pot (slow cooker). If making in the slow cooker, place the peppers into the insert of the slow cooker, add the cooking liquid and cook on High for about 3-4 hours or Low for about 6 hours. The peppers are cooked when the rice and peppers are soft. Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt. Serve.

Instant Pot Cooking Time -

• The recipe will need to be reduced to 4 servings to fit in one layer along the bottom of a 6 qt Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker).
• Add the peppers and the liquid to the Instant pot. Cover with lid and turn the steam valve to "seal". Set the cooking time for "Manual" on "High" for 25 minutes. Then, open the steam valve and allow the pressure to release. Open the lid. Sprinkle the peppers with cheese and allow to melt. Serve.

Nutrition Facts

Stuffed Mini Peppers with Beef Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 545 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g 37%

Saturated Fat 10g 63%

Cholesterol 73mg 24%

Sodium 2061mg 90%

Potassium 1427mg 41%

Carbohydrates 56g 19%

Fiber 9g 38%

Sugar 19g 21%

Protein 21g 42%

Vitamin A 14335IU 287%

Vitamin C 417mg 505%

Calcium 129mg 13%

Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Source: https://letthebakingbegin.com/stuffed-baby-peppers-with-beef-rice/

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