Spinach and Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
This brightly colored and flavorful stuffed peppers recipe with ground beef and spinach is such a well-rounded meal and easy to make ahead. You can make a couple days ahead for the week or freeze for another day.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 red bell peppers
- 2 lb. ground meat
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 4 oz. fresh spinach leaves
- 1 medium onion
- 1 (24-25 oz.) jar pasta sauce*
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 8 oz. shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Cook rice per instructions on package. I usually make 2 cups dry rice so there is leftover rice.
- While rice is cooking, fill a large pot 2/3 full with water and set over high heat to boil.
- Wash peppers and half lengthwise. Carefully remove stem and seeds.
- Heat a large frying pan or wide bottomed pan with higher sides on medium/high heat.
- Chop onion and mix ground meat, onion, salt, pepper, and parsley and add to heated pan.
- Fry until meat is almost cooked through.
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Meanwhile, when water comes to a boil in large pot, put pepper halves in it and blanch for 3 minutes.
- Fill a bowl with ice and water.
- Put blanched peppers in it to cool for 3 minutes.
- When meat is almost done cooking, roughly tear up spinach leaves and add to meat mixture, cooking a few more minutes until the spinach is wilted.
- Add 2 cups cooked rice and sauce to meat mixture and mix in well.
- Stuff peppers and place in 9 x 13 baking dish or 2 smaller dishes.
- Spread mozzarella over top.
- Cover dish and bake 30 minutes.
- Take cover off and bake another 10 minutes to crisp tops a bit.
Notes
- Use low sodium and/or no sugar added pasta sauce or cook crushed tomatoes down a bit to remove some extra liquid to lower sugar and sodium.
- Serves 6 adults at 2 halves each.