Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers

Let’s make something fresh and healthy for dinner tonight – and let’s make it meatless!

Vibrant, nutrient-packed, and colorful, you’ll be smiling from ear to ear as you enjoy these tasty and tender vegetarian stuffed bell peppers.

If you have been cycling through a parade of heavier dinners, from thick slices of meatloaf served with rich and creamy gravy to slowly cooked succulent pot roasts, you may find yourself occasionally craving a lightened-up meal.

And you should welcome the idea of enjoying a meatless meal every now and then. Embrace this refreshing shift with open arms!

The next time you’re planning your weekly menu, consider bypassing the meat counter for just one shopping trip – don’t even wink at it, you little flirt – and head straight to the produce department instead.

With a recipe as fun and delicious as this one, there’s no way you’ll regret serving this veggie-focused dinner.

Stuffed peppers are often filled with seasoned ground meat. In this version, fluffy white rice replaces the meat as the base.

But I wouldn’t make you eat just plain white rice in plain bell peppers. How silly!

Mixed with a simple and straightforward combination of caramelized onions, minced garlic, juicy tomatoes, and chopped fresh basil, the humble grains get a flavorful makeover.

You then roast the stuffed veggies for 35 to 40 minutes, until the halves blister and soften.

While you could end the cooking fun right here, I would be remiss with my cheesemongering duties if I ignored a perfectly opportune moment to incorporate cheese in this recipe!

A small handful of shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese piled on top of each mound of rice will melt beautifully after with a few additional minutes in the oven.

Okay… now you can serve them all, and savor every bite of this meatless delight!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Measure Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 375°F, and place an oven rack in the position that receives the most even heat, usually in the middle of the oven.

Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease the foil with some olive oil, or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. This ceramic rectangular baking dish from Made In would be a great choice, but you can also use a rimmed half-size baking sheet instead.

Measure out the white rice. You can use your favorite medium-grain or long-grain variety for this recipe. Following the package instructions, measure out your water for cooking the rice as well.

Measure out the olive oil, salt, and pepper – freshly cracked is best!

With a sharp chef’s knife and sturdy cutting board, dice a medium-size yellow onion. For a quick refresher, consult our tutorial on how to prep an onion.

Mince the garlic with a sharp knife, or use a garlic press.

Wash and dry the plum tomatoes. Remove the cores and dice them.

Wash and dry the bell peppers – use four of the same color, or choose a variety of red, orange, and yellow.

Identify a few small basil leaves in pristine condition to reserve for the final garnish before measuring and roughly chopping what you need for the recipe.

Using the coarse side of your box grater, grate 1 cup of cheddar or low-moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese. Mild to sharp, you can’t go wrong with any cheddar selection – choose your favorite!

Step 2 – Cook the Rice

Cook the rice on the stovetop according to the package directions. You can also use a rice cooker, or use your electric pressure cooker.

As the rice is cooking, you can prepare the next step.

Step 3 – Halve the Peppers and Place in Baking Dish

Using a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board, halve the peppers lengthwise. Remove the seeds and inner membranes from each half. You may want to use a spoon to scoop everything out.

You can remove the stems if you prefer, but I actually like the pretty presentation with the stems kept intact.

Set the halves cut side up in the prepared baking dish in a single layer. Depending on the shape of each half, you may need to assemble them in two or three rows.

It’s fine if they touch each other, don’t worry about that!

Step 4 – Caramelize the Onions and Add the Garlic

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Saute the onions in the skillet for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. You are looking for full flavor, so don’t stop cooking when they are simply translucent! Stir occasionally during this process.

Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until it’s very aromatic, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning.

Step 5 – Cook the Tomatoes

Add the diced tomatoes to the skillet. Continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

The tomatoes should soften slightly, but you don’t want them to completely lose their shape and get too saucy. You want to still be able to see beautiful pieces of tomatoes throughout the filling.

Step 6 – Mix in the Remaining Filling Ingredients

Turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the burner to halt the cooking process.

Gently fold in the cooked rice, black pepper, and basil until completely incorporated. You don’t want to excessively crush the tomatoes, so avoid harshly mixing everything together.

Taste the mixture, and season with more salt and black pepper if needed. Fold the additional seasonings into the mixture.

Step 7 – Stuff the Halves

Place the skillet right next to your baking dish with the pepper halves – this will help you to assemble more easily and cleanly.

Spoon equal amounts of the rice mixture into each half, filling them generously. Avoid pressing down on the filling – this is not necessary.

Step 8 – Roast

Cover the top of the baking dish with a large piece of aluminum foil. You’ll need this to prevent the rice from drying out and hardening during the roasting process.

Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The skin will be slightly blistered. The flesh should soften slightly, but it should still have a little firmness to it.

You can pierce one with a knife to check – the flesh should give just a little resistance.

Step 9 – Melt the Cheese

Remove the baking dish from the oven and place it on a trivet or heat-proof surface. Remove and dispose of the aluminum foil.

Evenly sprinkle 1/8 cup of cheese over the top of each half. Return the baking dish to the oven.

Bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted completely without browning excessively.

Step 10 – Serve

Remove the baking dish from the oven and place back on your trivet or heat-proof surface.

Using a spatula – tongs may rip the tender peppers – carefully transfer two halves to each plate. Garnish with the reserved basil leaves, and serve while they’re still warm.

Enjoy!