I’m a sucker for southwestern flavors and also for easy recipes, and this Stuffed Pepper Casserole ticks both of those boxes. It’s almost a one pot meal — if you have a big enough cast iron skillet you could make it one! It’s also the whole nutritional package with meat, veggies, and grain all in one.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole is super simple to make. Just brown the ground beef, then combine all the ingredients in a casserole dish, cover, and bake. You can serve it alone, or with chips to dip it up with (how most of my family members prefer it). We usually keep the toppings simple with a little sour cream, but you could also add some sliced avocado or pico de gallo. It also makes a good burrito or enchilada filling! Wrap your left overs in a tortilla and have it for lunch the next day.
I also love how visually appealing it is — the pictures I took really don’t do it justice. The red tomatoes, purple onion, and yellow, orange, or green bell peppers look so yummy! You can even use more than one color pepper to make it even prettier. And don’t get me started on how good this stuff smells when it comes out of the oven. It makes my stomach rumble just to think about it.
Other recipes you might enjoy: Creamy Chicken Fajita Soup // Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
As far as the cheese topping goes, I like Colby Jack because of the mild flavor but you can definitely use Monterrey Jack or Cheddar as well. If you have the time, I always recommend shredding the cheese fresh from a block instead of using bagged cheese because the texture is a little better, but I 100% use bagged cheese at least half the time. You know that saying ‘fed is best’ that people use regarding the way parents choose to feed their babies? I think it applies to grown-ups, too. If all the bellies in your house are full then you are a winner.
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with chilis
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 1/2 c rice
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 can chicken broth
- 1/2 c water
- 10 oz shredded Colby jack cheese
-
Preheat oven to 400°. Brown beef in a skillet on the stove. While beef browns, chop pepper and onion.
-
Add all ingredients but the cheese to a 9×13 casserole dish and mix well. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove foil and top with cheese. Bake again for an another 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted.
-
Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips. Keep leftovers in fridge up to one week.