Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers (Printable Version)
Tender bell peppers stuffed with beef, rice, vegetables, and feta cheese.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 large bell peppers, any color, tops removed and seeded
02 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
→ Meats
08 - 1 pound lean ground beef
→ Grains
09 - 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
→ Dairy
10 - ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for garnish
→ Pantry Staples
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - ½ cup tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
13 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
15 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
16 - Salt and black pepper to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold peppers upright.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 2 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef to skillet and cook until browned, breaking up with spoon, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Stir in zucchini, cherry tomatoes, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Sauté 3–4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
05 - Mix in cooked rice, tomato passata, parsley, mint, and ½ cup feta cheese. Cook 2 more minutes, then adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Spoon beef mixture evenly into hollowed peppers. Stand peppers upright in prepared baking dish.
07 - Cover dish with foil and bake 30 minutes until peppers begin to soften.
08 - Remove foil, sprinkle with additional feta, and bake 10–15 minutes longer until peppers are tender and tops are golden. Let cool slightly before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The beef and rice filling stays incredibly moist thanks to the tomato passata and all those Mediterranean vegetables
- Everything bakes in one dish while you pour yourself a glass of wine and pretend youre organized
- Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, if they even last that long
02 -
- Don't skip draining excess fat from the beef, or you'll end up with greasy peppers that feel heavy instead of satisfying
- The mint matters more than you think, it's what elevates this from ordinary stuffed peppers to something memorable
03 -
- Choose peppers with flat bottoms so they stand upright in your baking dish without tipping over
- Save the pepper tops to use as makeshift lids during the first part of baking if you want extra moisture