If you're looking for an easy dinner recipe that will WOW your family, you have to try these Whole30 Italian Stuffed Peppers! They're made with nourishing ingredients like bell peppers, cauliflower rice, and fresh Italian herbs.
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Why I love this recipe
This recipe is ridiculously easy to make, and only requires a few simple ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen right now!
It's also great for meal prep, freezer friendly, and can be customized to your dietary needs. They're packed with so much flavor, you won't even miss the cheese!
🍴Ingredient Notes
- Large Bell Peppers - You could use red, yellow, green, or orange! It depends how big they are, but you'll need at least 4 peppers.
- Ground Beef - You can also use ground turkey. It's important to choose quality meat. I buy most of my meat from Butcher Box because it's high quality, and it gets sent right to my door! When choosing meat, check to make sure there are no added hormones, and that the cows were grass fed AND grass finished. A lot of brands market their meat saying "grass fed" but that can mean they ate grass ONCE in their life!
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes - Diced tomatoes are great because you don't have to do much! They're already prepped and ready to roll. Plus the roasted tomatoes have a nice flavor. If you don't have fire roasted tomatoes, just use pre-made jarred sauce! (You'll probably need less seasoning too.)
- Cauliflower Rice - I used frozen, but fresh will work too! If you want to bulk them up, just use half cauliflower rice, and half (cooked) rice.
- Basil & Parsley - You can use fresh herbs, or frozen herbs! I like to store my basil and parsley in the freezer so it lasts longer. If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use ½ teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning or ½ teaspoon of dried basil and parsley.
- Garlic Powder - If you have fresh garlic, you can use 2-3 minced cloves!
- Red Pepper Flakes - I like using red pepper flakes for a little kick of spice, but for a more mild flavor, use ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
🍴Step by Step Instructions
Making the Filling
- Start by adding ground beef, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and salt into a frying pan. Sauté on a medium/high heat until it's 90% cooked through. (Make sure to break up the meat while it cooks.)
- Next, add in the diced tomatoes and cauliflower rice. Stir together on a low heat for a few minutes. Turn the heat off and remove the pan from the burner while you prepare the peppers.
Preparing the Peppers
- Slice all of the peppers in half, and remove the white film and seeds.
- If you like the peppers a little softer, pre-bake them for 10 minutes on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish at 350 degrees. (Before you stuff them.)
- Once the the peppers are prepped and ready to be stuffed, add them to a large casserole dish. Stuff the peppers with the filling. Make sure to press down so they're packed. Whatever filling is leftover, serve on the side!
Baking the Peppers
- Bake the stuffed peppers at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven, and serve hot! Enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- Pre-Cook the peppers for 10 minutes before you stuff them! I like to pop them in the oven at 350 degrees while I prepare the filling.
- If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried basil and parsley, or ½ teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning mix.
- Don't have time to cook the sauce? Use jarred sauce! It works great, and saves time.
- Want to bulk them up? Add a mix of regular rice with the cauliflower rice for some extra carbs. (You can also serve with a scoop of rice on the side.)
- If you have leftover filling, serve overtop of the stuffed peppers.
- Test the filling before stuffing the peppers! If it needs more salt or spice, stir it in.
- Top them with your favorite dairy-free cheese! (Or regular cheese if you can tolerate dairy.) Sprinkle it on before they go into the oven.
- Don't want to heat the house? Grill your peppers! Follow directions the same, but do not pre-cook the peppers. Stuff and grill for about 15 minutes until they're charred on the bottom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze Stuffed Peppers?
Yes! Stuffed peppers can be made in bulk, and frozen for a rainy day. (Or a lazy day!) Just defrost, and heat them up in the oven.
What should I serve with my Stuffed Peppers?
I usually serve them with a scoop of any leftover filling, and a fresh salad! If you want to u0022bulk them upu0022 just serve with a scoop of rice on the side.
Do you have to cook the meat before stuffing the pepper?
Yes! Pre-cooking the meat assures that it won't be raw when you serve the peppers. It also gives the meat a nice flavor!
How to store and reheat leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in a covered container for up to five days in the refrigerator. (I like using glass containers.)
You can also freeze leftover stuffed peppers! To re-heat just pop them in the oven until they're warm.
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Recipe
Whole30 Italian Stuffed Peppers
If you're looking for an easy dinner recipe that will WOW your family, you have to try these Whole30 Italian Stuffed Peppers! They're made with nourishing ingredients like bell peppers, cauliflower rice, and fresh Italian herbs. Plus this recipe is super easy to make, and tastes incredible. They're packed with so much flavor, you won't even miss the cheese!
Equipment
- Large Casserole Dish
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 4-6 Large Bell Peppers
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 28 Ounces Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- 12 Ounces Cauliflower Rice I used frozen, but fresh will work too!
- ½ Cup Basil
- ½ Cup Parsley
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
Making the Filling
- Start by adding ground beef, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and salt into a frying pan. Sauté on a medium/high heat until it's 90% cooked through. (Make sure to break up the meat while it cooks.)
- Next, add in the diced tomatoes and cauliflower rice. Stir together on a low heat for a few minutes. Turn the heat off and remove the pan from the burner while you prepare the peppers.
Preparing the Peppers
- Slice all of the peppers in half, and remove the white film and seeds.
- If you like the peppers a little softer, pre-bake them for 10 minutes on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish at 350 degrees. (Before you stuff them.)
- Once the the peppers are prepped and ready to be stuffed, add them to a large casserole dish. Stuff the peppers with the filling. Make sure to press down so they're packed. Whatever filling is leftover, serve on the side!
Baking
- Bake the stuffed peppers at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven, and serve hot! Enjoy!
Notes
Helpful Tips
- Pre-Cook the peppers for 10 minutes before you stuff them! I like to pop them in the oven at 350 degrees while I prepare the filling.
- If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried basil and parsley, or ½ teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning mix.
- Want to bulk them up? Add a mix of regular rice with the cauliflower rice for some extra carbs. (You can also serve with a scoop of rice on the side.)
- If you have leftover filling, serve overtop of the stuffed peppers.
- Test the filling before stuffing the peppers! If it needs more salt or spice, stir it in.
- Top them with your favorite dairy-free cheese! (Or regular cheese if you can tolerate dairy.) Sprinkle it on before they go into the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze Stuffed Peppers?
Yes! Stuffed peppers can be made in bulk, and frozen for a rainy day. (Or a lazy day!) Just defrost, and heat them up in the oven.
What should I serve with my Stuffed Peppers?
I usually serve them with a scoop of any leftover filling, and a fresh salad! If you want to "bulk them up" just serve with a scoop of rice on the side.
Do you have to cook the meat before stuffing the pepper?
Yes! Pre-cooking the meat assures that it won't be raw when you serve the peppers. It also gives the meat a nice flavor!
How to store and reheat leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in a covered container for up to five days in the refrigerator. (I like using glass containers.) You can also freeze leftover stuffed peppers! To re-heat just pop them in the oven until they're warm.Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 26gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 1000mgPotassium: 857mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 2098IUVitamin C: 151mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 5mg
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