Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

from wellplated.com
Main Course
65 min
6 servings
263 kcal / serving

Easy Stuffed Pepper Casserole takes classic stuffed pepper ingredients like rice, ground meat, tomato and cheese and turns them into a healthy one pot meal!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
  • 1 poundground turkey (or ground chicken or lean ground beef)
  • 1 mediumyellow onion
  • 1 tablespoonitalian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoonsground cumin
  • 1 teaspoonkosher salt
  • ½ teaspoonground pepper
  • 3 clovesgarlic (minced (about 1 tablespoon))
  • 12 ouncesfrozen chopped spinach (thawed with as much water squeezed out as possible)
  • 1red bell pepper (cored and diced)
  • 1green bell peppers (cored and diced)
  • 2 cupswater
  • 1 can15-ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes in their juices
  • 18-ounce can no salt added tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoonworcestershire sauce
  • 1 cupuncooked brown rice (rinsed and drained)
  • ½ cupshredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ cupshredded pepper jack cheese (use monterey jack or mozzarella for a more mild flavor; or swap in additional cheddar)
  • for serving: chopped fresh cilantro or parsley; greek yogurt

Directions

  1. 1

    In a Dutch oven or similar deep, sturdy pot, heat the oil over medium high. Add the turkey and onion. With a wooden spoon or spatula, break the meat into small pieces. Cook and stir until it is browned and fully cooked through and the onion is tender, about 7 minutes.

  2. 2

    Add the Italian seasoning, cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach. With a fork (or very carefully with your fingers) break apart the clumps so it's fairly evenly distributed with the meat. Add red and green bell peppers, water, tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, and rice. Stir to evenly combine.

  3. 3

    Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let cook 30 minutes. Uncover and stir, scraping up any rice that is beginning to stick. Recover and continue to simmer until the rice is tender, about 10 to 15 additional minutes.

  4. 4

    Remove the pot from the heat. Uncover and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Don’t worry if it’s still a little liquidy. It will continue to thicken and the liquid will further absorb as it sits. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, then recover.

  5. 5

    Let sit off the heat 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted, the rice is tender (it will still have a little bit of chew, which is normal for brown rice, but it should not be crunchy). If you'd like the top golden, place the dish, uncovered, under the broiler for a minute or two (watch carefully to ensure the top does not burn). Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh cilantro or parsley.