Baked Stuffed Sweet Peppers
To make baked stuffed peppers, halve sweet peppers and remove the seeds, then fill them with a mixture of cooked rice, sautéed onion and garlic, chopped tomato, herbs, and cheese. Set them in a baking dish with a splash of water or passata in the bottom, cover with foil, and bake at 190 °C for 30 minutes, then uncover for 15 more until the peppers are tender and the tops are golden. They reheat and freeze well.
Sweet peppers are one of those crops that all ripen at once — a bright, glossy pile of red, yellow, and orange with no immediate plan. Stuffed peppers are the plan: a whole, cozy dinner built inside the vegetable itself, endlessly adaptable, and happy to be made ahead or frozen.
Halved, not hatted
You’ll see peppers stuffed upright with the tops cut off, but halving them lengthwise is easier: they sit flat, hold more filling relative to their size, cook faster and more evenly, and portion neatly. Just seed them and lay them cut-side up.
Cover, then uncover
The two-stage bake gives you the best of both: covered with foil, the peppers steam tender and the filling heats through; uncovered for the last stretch, the cheesy tops brown. A splash of passata or water in the dish keeps everything from drying out and gives you a little sauce.
A template, not a rule
The rice-tomato-herb-cheese filling here is the classic vegetarian version, but it’s really a blueprint:
- Meaty: brown ground beef, turkey, or sausage with the onion.
- Grains: swap rice for quinoa, orzo, farro, or couscous.
- Pulses: lentils or chickpeas for a hearty vegetarian version.
- Global: Greek (feta, dill, lemon), Mexican (black beans, corn, cumin, chili), or Italian (mozzarella, basil, parmesan).
Batch-cook a tray when peppers are cheap, freeze what you don’t eat, and you’ve got dinners waiting. Serve with a green salad or crusty bread.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pre-cook the peppers?
No need — baking covered with foil steams them tender while the filling heats through, then uncovering browns the top. If you like them very soft, give the empty halves a 10-minute head start in the oven before filling. For firmer peppers, skip that.
Can I freeze stuffed peppers?
Yes. Freeze them either before baking (thaw first, then bake) or after (cool, freeze, and reheat covered at 180 °C). They're a great batch-cook: fill a tray when peppers are cheap and plentiful, and bank dinners for later.
What else can I stuff them with?
Almost anything. Ground beef or turkey with rice, cooked lentils or chickpeas, quinoa, orzo, or leftover chili all work. The rice-and-tomato base here is the classic vegetarian version — treat it as a template for whatever you have.