One-Pan Stuffed Pepper Casserole

One-Pan Stuffed Pepper Casserole

from allrecipes.com
Dinner
95 min
8 servings
351 kcal / serving

Chef John's one-pan stuffed pepper casserole has all the same taste and texture of beef and rice stuffed bell peppers—maybe even more flavor—with no stuffing involved. With one stovetop-to-oven-to-table pan, there's almost no cleanup.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoonolive oil
  • 1 poundground beef
  • 1onion peeled and diced
  • 2 tablespoonsunsalted butter
  • 3 clovesgarlic minced
  • 2 teaspoonskosher salt
  • 1 teaspoonblack pepper
  • ½ teaspoonsmoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoongarlic powder
  • cayenne
  • 2green bell peppers, seeded, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 1red bell peppers, seeded, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 1orange bell peppers, seeded, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cupraw basmati rice or other white long grain rice
  • worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cupstomato sauce or puree
  • 1 ½ cupsbeef broth
  • 6 ouncescheddar cheese, divided

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

  2. 2

    Place an ovenproof pan over high heat, add olive oil, then the beef, and a big pinch of salt, and cook for about 1 minute, breaking the meat into smaller pieces. Add onions, and continue cooking, crumbling the meat, until it starts to brown and onions turn translucent. about 5 minutes. Brown the meat deeply for the best flavor.

  3. 3

    Reduce heat to medium-high, or to medium if the pan seems very hot, and add butter and garlic. Cook, stirring, until butter melts, about 1 minute. Add black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. Cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add bell peppers, and cook and stir until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

  4. 4

    Add rice and stir until it is coated with the fats from the pan, about 1 minute. Add remaining salt, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, and beef broth, and raise the heat to high. Stir together and wait for the mixture to simmer. Turn off heat, and sprinkle with some of the cheese, saving about 1/2 cup for the top. Use a spoon to poke and stir the cheese in evenly. Cover the pan tightly.

  5. 5

    Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, uncover, and check rice for tenderness in a few spots. If rice is not tender, cover and continue to bake. Once rice is tender, remove the casserole, uncover, sprinkle over the rest of the cheese, and turn on the oven’s broiler.

  6. 6

    Broil casserole until cheese is melted, and starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Let rest at least 10 minutes before serving.