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These are my Italian Stuffed Peppers, and they are loaded with ground meat, rice, Italian parsley, freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, and topped with a slice of provolone. They are then baked in the oven with a beautiful homemade tomato sauce and after about 45 minutes the peppers are cooked and the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Before my Nonna passed away she would make stuffed peppers all the time. She loaded them mostly with rice, a mix of ground beef + pork and freshly grated cheese. I remember anytime she made these our family would go nuts for them, and it didn’t matter how much other food was being served, these were always one of the first dishes to go. I am so mad at myself because I didn’t really get the recipe from her before she passed (although I am sure my Mamma has a pretty good idea of how she made them) so I have been winging my version, of what I think her version was for the past couple of years. And I will tell you this much: they aren’t as good as hers, but, they are still good, really good. To be fair, I don’t think I have ever made anything and thought to myself, this is as good as Nonna’s BUT HEY, we are out here trying our best and thats all that matters!
I also really love making these stuffed peppers for a larger crowd as you can prepare them and add them to the oven when your guests arrive which is awesome. They are also perfect for meal prep, and they are pretty easy to make! You add all of the ingredients to one big bowl, give it a good mix and stuff your peppers.
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Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest! Also, if you do make this recipe (or any recipe of mine for that matter) be sure to tag #sammymontgoms so I can see your re-creations!
Looking for more Italian recipes?
Looking for more Italian Classics? I will leave a few personal favourites linked down below:
- Beef Cutlets
- Chicken Parmesan
- Lasagna with Mini Meatballs
- Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Italian Meatball Subs
- Baked Zucchini Parmigiani
- Homemade Pizza Dough
- Minestrone Soup
- Spaghetti & Meatballs
Italian Stuffed Peppers at a glance
Taste: SO good! I love the combination of meat, rice and tomato sauce. It gives the dish everything you could possibly want in a dinner.
Time: These Italian Stuffed Peppers will need about 40-50 minutes in the oven and the prep time takes about 15 minutes, so let’s say an hour.
Effort: I would consider these pretty low effort. They take a bit of time to prep, but they are easy!
Difficulty: Anybody can make my Italian Stuffed Peppers, I promise! They take a bit of time to prepare, but they are super easy to make.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make my Italian Stuffed Peppers.
For the exact detailed measurements and ingredients, scroll to the bottom of this page to review my recipe card.
- Red & yellow peppers
- Ground beef & pork: you can also use ground chicken or turkey in this recipe.
- Italian parsley: if you can’t find Italian parsley, feel free to use regular parsley.
- Fresh basil
- Parmesan: freshly grated tastes best.
- Mozzarella: freshly grated tastes best.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Eggs
My tips before getting started
I prefer using red and yellow peppers in this recipe! Red and yellow peppers are sweet where as green peppers tend to be a bit more bitter, but if you aren’t a pepper snob, use whatever you’d like.
I really love using a homemade tomato sauce in this recipe so if you have the time, check out my Sunday Sauce recipe.
I like to add everything to a big bowl and mix really well with rubber gloves before scooping the mixture into the peppers. Also, this is such an important tip: after you are done mixing all of the ingredients in a big bowl, fry a little piece of the meat to see if it needs any additional seasonings before stuffing your peppers.
I love adding tomato sauce to the bottom of the baking dish and then topping it with some sauce as well.
You can top these with any type of cheese you want but my preference is provolone, it melts and crisps really well in the oven and adds a delicious flavour to the Italian Stuffed Peppers.
You will likely notice that when you take the peppers out of the oven that they will appear to be a little bit watery. Just be sure to let them cool for at least 15 minutes or so and it should evaporate a bit.
Substitutions & FAQ’s
Do I need to use homemade tomato sauce?
You definitely don’t need to use a homemade tomato sauce here, although it really does elevate the dish so if you have time check out my Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe.
Can I use other ground meats in this recipe?
You can definitely use your preference of ground meat in this recipe although I do find the combination of ground beef and ground pork to work really well. But feel free to do ground chicken or turkey if thats more your style!
How do I know if the meat is fully cooked?
The meat should be cooked after about 40 minutes; just make sure that there is no pink that remains in the centre. You can also use a meat thermometer and once the internal temperature reaches 160°F you are safe to remove the stuffed peppers from the oven.
Storing & reheating
If you have leftovers, add them to an airtight glass container/tupperware and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To re-heat simply add the italian stuffed peppers to a frying pan, add a splash of water, cover and set to medium/high heat. This will allow your peppers to steam and heat throughout without having to add any oil.
Alternatively you can add your leftovers to a plate and place in the microwave and heat for 30 to 45 seconds.
Watch the recipe video
Watch the recipe video on Instagram
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If you enjoyed my Italian Stuffed Peppers recipe, please consider leaving me a 5 star rating and review in my recipe card provided below, it means so very much to me!
Italian Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 5 cups tomato sauce
- 8 red & yellow peppers, sliced in half, cleaned out
- 2 cups cooked white rice, basmati
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
- 1 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 8 pieces of provolone, sliced in half
- 1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Begin by preparing your rice. Set aside.
- Set your oven to 400 °F while you prepare the filling.
- To a large bowl add all of your ingredients (except the provolone and tomato sauce) as that will be used to top the peppers with. Mix really well.Tip: I'll always fry a little meatball in a pan and taste to see if it needs any additional seasoning before I stuff the peppers with the meat mixture.
- Slice your peppers in half lengthwise, removing any seeds.
- Fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Repeat.
- To a large baking dish add 2 cups of tomato sauce to the bottom.
- Add your stuffed peppers to the baking dish, meat side up.
- Top each pepper evenly with the remainder of tomato sauce.
- Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven when there is about five minutes left of cook time, add your provolone and return to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, just until the meat becomes fully cooked and the cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Cool on the counter for at least 15 minutes before diving in, and enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sounds delicious! What can I use instead of provolone?
You can use mozzarella!
If I make these ahead of time should I cook them and then store them and reheat or can I store them prepared and uncooked and cook when I’m ready?!
Thanks!!
If I was doing the peppers the day before I was going to eat them, I would assemble them exactly like the recipe and then bake them in the oven the day after! I wouldn’t suggest doing it longer than one day in advance though. You can also bake the entire recipe in your oven and then just reheat them as you want to eat them over the next couple of days. Hope this helps!
I’m unsure about one thing: the recipe says to add all ingredients to the bowl. I don’t think the 5 cups of tomato sauce is added to the meat mix, or am I wrong?
You are correct, the tomato sauce is just for adding to the base of the pan and to the top of the peppers. Hope that helps.
Sammy
These were amazing! I was worried, because when my mom made these, different recipe, in the 70’s I had bad experiences….these are so good. Made them early, refrigerated, and then put them in the oven when we were ready to eat. Take out of refrigerator at least 39 minutes before you put them in the oven.
My husband had seconds and is having them for leftovers when I work!
Thank you!!!
Hi Shelley! I am SO happy you liked this version! And it’s even better where you have leftovers. Thanks again for sharing your review.
I made this tonight for dinner. It was so delicious! Perfectly seasoned. Love provolone instead of mozzarella on top too
About to make these , does the rice get all mushy when mixing with the raw meat ?
Hi Kate, it does a bit, but if you are concerned with that, you can always just fold in the rice at the very end if you are concerned with the texture. Hope this helps.
I made these because the recipe looked so delicious and simple. I am IN LOVE! 😍 I’m used to stuffed peppers that are cooked in tomato sauce and it’s not my favourite but this recipe is bomb, will definitely put it in my recipe rotation 😋
These were so good!
I would edit the recipe to make it clear to not include the tomato sauce in the part where it says to mix everything together. People that are new to cooking may not catch that they’re not supposed to do that.
Anyways! OMG so good. I made them last week and I’m still thinking about them. Love all your recipes!
I agree and I just updated the recipe and thank you for this recommendation! So happy you loved them though 🙂
Made this and subbed the pork for some mild italian sausages. So good! Will be making again!
Hi just made these today and my family loved them! We forgot to add the egg but still turned out delicious ! Do you think you can freeze leftovers that aren’t eaten?
Hi Kate! You can certainly freeze them!
I’ve never had stuffed peppers but these were delicious. We used a mix of meats (beef, lamb, pork). Highly recommend!
Hey Shelby! Thanks so much for sharing! So happy you enjoyed them!
I just made these, my first – ever attempt at stuffed peppers of any kind. All I can say is WOW!!! The wonderful variety of textures, the AMAZING flavors – I just want to say thank you for gifting my family with so much joy tonight!
Hi Jen!!! Awe you are so sweet! Thanks for such a lovely comment. I am so happy you all enjoyed it!
If I could give this a 10/5, I would. This is amazing!!! All the flavors come together so perfectly!
Thanks for this review Angelina! Hey, I will take a 10/5 any day LOL! xx
I made this for my family tonight and it was a huge hit with everyone. One of my teens said it’s her new favorite, dinner and my husband said to get rid of my other stuffed pepper recipe because yours is way better. Thanks for sharing such a delicious meal! This will become a regular on our meal plan rotation.
Hi Dawn! Awe, so happy the family enjoyed it! That makes me so happy. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful review.
SCRUMPTIOUS! My husband loves stuffed peppers so I’m always trying to find a few different variations. WELL, he said these were the best he’s ever had.
Sammy! Love every single recipe of yours. You are my go to for no-fail, delectable, rock star dishes every time. Where’s the cookbook already?!?!?!?!❤️
Hi PAGE! You are an angel – hopefully soon 👀
My mother, who has always had a vendetta against stuffed peppers because of how her mom made them, finally changed her tune about them tonight after I gave this recipe a shot!
I’m still super new to cooking and these recipes have been amazing in building my confidence. Thank you so much for sharing your work!
Hi Ashlee! Thank you for this message, it made me so happy.
THE BEST! I freeze half of the beef/pork mix (minus the rice, I just cook fresh to add to thawed mix). It’s just my husband and myself so four peppers, 1/2 stuffing mix is perfect for us with leftovers for another meal. Perfect!