Like stuffed peppers but not all the fuss? Make this easy Stuffed Pepper Explosion Casserole, all the great flavors of the traditional dish, but so easy.
Stuffed Pepper Explosion Casserole
School is back in session and we all know what that means, right? Frantic rush around dinnertime between pick up/drop off, homework, soccer practice, band rehearsals, hubby working late…I’m exhausted just typing it.
Sometimes a $5 pizza or drive-thru just isn’t the answer. These are the nights you need a go-to dinner in a pinch recipe, try out my Stuffed Pepper Explosion Casserole, it fits the bill & fills tummies at the same time.
If your vision of stuffed peppers is anything like mine as a kid, it ain’t pretty. I remember my mom beheading bell peppers, gutting the insides, and shoving a mixture of ground beef, spices, and rice into hollowed-out peppers and finally smothering in a tomato soup type sauce.
It was good, but not exactly what I wanted to make. The flavors blending together was very appealing to me, as was the fact that I really like bell pepper, just not the green variety.
So my mission began. What if I took all of the best components of stuffed peppers and made it into a casserole type dish that can be quickly thrown together? It sounded good to me!
A fast, easy, satisfying dish that can be made during the week and reheated for leftovers throughout the week (if any was remaining). That’s how my Stuffed Pepper Explosion Casserole was born, it’s a staple at our house and something that I can literally throw together and have dinner on the table in less than 45 minutes.
Craving a casserole? Try these:
Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage Cheesy Potatoes
Like stuffed peppers but not all the fuss? Make this easy Stuffed Pepper Explosion Casserole, all the great flavors of the traditional dish, but so easy.Stuffed Pepper Explosion Casserole
Ingredients
Instructions
This recipe is SO Yummy! I have made it before thanks to Lori. And can I say I have never made stuffed peppers cause it seems like a lot of work that stuffing thing;) so I make this instead;)
Fixing this tonight for supper, thanks for sharing.
Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade
This looks delicious! I love stuffed bell peppers! New follower here from the link party! I would love for you to visit me and join my site as well!
riversrecipereview.blogspot.com
Hi, do you freeze this before or after baking? Thanks :O)
Hey Jennifer,
I would freeze after baking, and just reheat after thawing. I’ll also be posting a new and improved picture this weekend, be sure to check back!
just wondering ,how come? I thought it would be fresher the opposite way, freezing before baking? that’s what I do with the lasagne anyway..is that not right? asking because I’m excited to make this for this weekend, and wanted an early start by freezing it. thanks for the recipe!
ps..also do you think chopped brocolli would go well mixed in ? had some on hand that i thought would be good to throw in.
I’m thinking of adding broccoli also but should I cook it a little before putting in the oven
When reheating-after-thawing, how long and at what temp should this be done? * amateur question I know*
Your question is fine Britney :). 350 degrees for 30 minutes after fully thawed.
That looks so delicious. Yeah! A new casserole to try. Thank you.
Visiting from Mealtime Monday. Had to pin this!
I like the idea of using yellow peppers. I think the sweetness of the yellow bell pepper would meld nicely with the rice and turkey. Thank you for sharing at Foodie Fiends Friday.
We made this and it was amazing–a hit with the whole family! We used an orange pepper in addition to a green one. I agree–the sweetness added a nice level of flavor. I suggest trying that! Keep in mind the rice makes this quite bland–make sure you add salt. Probably more than you think it needs!
It’s on our menu again this week! Yum.
what a absolutely great idea. I just made a stuffed pepper soup. i have leftover peppers. I must make this NOW.
Thanks for sharing on FFF.
Your co host from Nosh My Way!
Oh this one looks sooo good! Thanks for sharing:)
Hopping by and following your lovely blog’s twitter, FB and Pinterest. I blog @ Getting Healthy with Essential Oils
I am also inviting you to join Tiddle Diddle Handmade Shoppe’s first giveaway event.
Just a tip for freezer cookers who are new to the topic, I think veggies taste better after thawing if they are just blanched or quick sauteed, not cooked until done before freezing. And rice reheats better if it is undercooked the first time.
Also, be sure to get as much air out of the freezer bag as possible before freezing. When I first started, 30 day gourmet was my freezer cooking handbook!
Good luck!
This dish is one of our favorites! There’s very little left over for the next day.
Same at our house Michelle, but IF there are leftovers..SO GOOD! Thanks for stopping over!
Can I use crushed tomatoes instead of diced? And do I throw the whole can in there, juice and all?
Heather, I’m sure you can use crushed tomatoes I’ve never personally tried so let us know how it turns out! Thanks for stopping over.
I have made this twice now and love it. It’s a hit with the family and great leftovers to take to the office the next day. The second time I realized I was out of oregano and used Italian Seasoning. I also used a can of Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano and it kicked up the taste a notch. (not that this needed any changes, but just wanted to let you know). Very good. So glad I found this site.
So glad you are enjoying this dish. I tend to tweak recipes myself depending on what I have on hand. Thanks for stopping over!
Sarah did you throw the whole can in juice and all?
It was delicious. I made with Chorizo and it was a little dry. I would probably put another can of pf tomatoes or less rice next time. I added cheese on top. We ate it with tortilla chips! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad I saw this on pinterest! I now have a plan for dinner tonight!! Looks delicious!
Thanks Elaine, it is definitely a favorite at my house.
Wow was this ever GOOD! I added some green onion and cilantro that I needed to get rid of, used half the rice and added a can of tomato sauce to make it richer. I also used about half the cheese bc that’s all I had. So delicious and easy to make! This definitely is going on my dinner staple list! The whole family loved it! Thanks so much!
Glad you enjoyed Katie! 🙂
Hi! Do you drain the diced tomatoes?
Nope, the whole can goes right in. Enjoy!
Easy and delicious! I didn’t have rice & was too lazy to leave the house so I substituted quiona. I loved the texture the quinoa gave but I will definitely try it with rice.
I made this for dinner tonight, and it’s AMAZING!!! I used Knorr’s Taco Rice (since that’s what I had on hand) and left out the spices since it’s already seasoned. Turned out perfect! This is definitely going in the rotation. Thanks!!
I love that you used what you had, I do that ALL the time! One of my favorite recipes, thanks for stopping over!
Hi does the rice cook first or cook in it?
Cook the rice first and then combine with all other ingredients prior to baking.
Just wondering, 3 cups cooked rice… is that how much uncooked rice you make for it? Or how much do you cook to equal the 3 cups for the recipe?
Yum!! This stuffed pepper casserole was delicious! My family gobbled it up and wanted more. 🙂 Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
I have an undone stuffed pepper casserole recipe that uses ground beef and quinoa instead of the turkey and rice. My family enjoys this meal as well. I like the option of using quinoa instead of rice. http://doubletherecipe.com/2016/05/20/undone-stuffed-pepper-casserole/
do you use yellow and red bell peppers?
Yes you can use red and yellow bell peppers they have a mild and sweater taste than the green bell peppers. They are not as strong as the green ones
Hi Lori, do you use ground or dried oregano?
Hi Angie, I use dried oregano.
Just wondering about the cooked rice…. Do u mean cooking the rice ahead of time or using minute rice?
Hi Diana, I’ve always cooked traditional rice ahead of time. Hope you enjoy!
I’m going to have to save this one for when the weather starts to turn cold! This looks like a great back-to-school recipe!
Can’t get directions only ingredients
Hi Nicki, Just clicked onto this post and could see them right below the ingredient list.
My youngest son was home for a couple of days before moving across the country and asked mom for some stuffed peppers. I only had 2 small peppers so, I made something very similar to this except I added corn. Son and husband loved it!!!! Only problem is, I thought I made this up!!!! It was a hit with my guy’s for sure.
Thank you for this recipe!! I’ve made it several times and I actually changed it and instead of using the tomatoes I use a can of rotel and omit the garlic salt, pepper flakes and oregano. It’s so dang good!!!! My family is very picky but this dish is a hit every time. Again, thank you for the recipe as it’s a staple in my picky eating husband and kids house!
Will be making this for dinner tonight!! 🙂 Could you recommend a good side-dish?
Do you cook the rice first or leave it uncooked
Just wanted you to know I made this tonight and it was a hit! One change I made, was I used only half rice and half cauliflower crumbles. Trying to use less carbs- next time I will use all cauliflower crumbles- no one noticed!! I also cut down on the cheese and it was still fabulous! Thanks for posting it
Funny you mention using the cauliflower crumbles, a blogger friend recently made her own version based off of this recipe using cauliflower crumbles. Great option, thanks for sharing!
So, I made this tonight with some trepidation. I can never tell if what I find on Pinterest will actually be as good as it sounds. Well, I am pleased to tell you that it was even better! Seriously, the flavors melded together perfectly. Even my very picky kids loved it! My husband said, “This is a keeper!” Thank you for the great recipe. It will for sure be something we make over and over.
This comment made my day Gloria! 🙂 Thank you!
I added a small (10oz) can of Mild Rotell along with the diced tomatoes! It was really good 👍
This looks delicious! I loved stuffed peppers, so I’m sure I will love this caserole just as much. I plan on making it soon and will probably double the recipe for my family, because I’m sure there would be no leftovers if I don’t! Thank’s for the recipe😊
Hello, I made this tonight. I usually use ground turkey in these types of recipes… however, I had some organic ground beef from Aldi that I needed to use up. I also had an orange pepper from Aldi that I had left over… so I used that. Oh my!!! LOVED this recipe! I had some rice I had frozen from a couple of months ago so it was perfect that I was using what I had. This recipe will be one that I will make from time to time. Thank YOU! LOVED it!!!
Was wondering if I can use tomato sauce instead of tomatoes since I cant eat any type of seeds? If so, would I use the same amount, or would it be too thick?
Yes you can use tomato sauce
Can minute rice be used?
I’m going to make this Tuesday for my Book Club. Can it be made the night before and refrigerated before baking the next day or no? Thank you in advance for your reply.
I’m sure it can as leftovers heat up nicely when I make this. Hope you enjoy!
Stuffed pepper explosion casserole I love this recipe I actually use this to make my stuffed peppers. It is fantastic.
I substitute barley instead of rice. Yum
Delicious! Thank you for this, I love stuffed peppers and this was so much easier and super tasty!
This has become one of my family’s favorite! Although I have modified it a bit, I use ground turkey and instead of the tomatoes, I use a can of pasta sauce! Sometimes I add mushrooms or fresh spinach to have more veggies. So easy, and so tasty! 😋
I added another teaspoon of garlic salt and I can of rotel tomatoes, one can tomatoes with pepper and onions and one can tomato sauce because it was to dry for my taste. I usually do stuffed bell peppers with bacon on the top but I didn’t add bacon to this casserole. I will see how it taste and let you know. I think I like making the stuffed peppers better it is a lot less trouble.
I made this casserole, baked and froze it before we had our baby. 5 months later, we threw it in the oven, and it was DELICIOUS! Will definitely be making again!
WOW! This came out so delicious! I do the same thing, taking inspiration from a recipe and then changing it up. I had some left over roasted sweet potatoes so I just carmelized onions, browned the turkey in a pan, added some other vegetables, red thai chili paste, and a bit of lemongrass (along with everything you put in the recipe) and it came out amazingly delicious! My fiance was shocked because I put it together rather quickly and it was so yummy 🙂
I used tomato soup instead of the sauce hopefully it turns out good!!
I made this twice this week and boy is this good! First time I halved the recipe and FORGOT to half the cheese! lol! Good but when serving I had to add more rice to balance out all the cheese. 2nd time I did it for a quick lunch and still good. Great recipe and disaster proof! 🙂