Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers is a great crock pot ground beef recipe that is cheap to make.
Ground beef crock pot recipes are delicious but also a great way to stretch those grocery shopping dollars.
I also have included instructions on how to make perfect rice every time.
You'll never make mushy white rice again when you cook white rice the way I do!
When I was a kid my mom made a lot of recipes that included ground beef.
Ground beef may not be as cheap to buy as it was when I was a kid but it is still one of the least expensive meats to buy even now.
Especially if you buy it in bulk when it goes on sale like I do.
Along with stuffed bell peppers, my mom also made stuffed cabbage a lot (my family is German).
You'll see in my Crock Pot Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe that my mother loved to use canned tomato soup whenever she made a ground beef dinner recipe that had a tomato-based sauce or gravy.
Like this Crock Pot Meatloaf recipe that is one of my favorite ground beef crock pot recipes.
Todays Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe uses canned tomato sauce instead of canned tomato soup.
I can't remember but I bet my mom also used tomato soup when she made her stuffed bell peppers recipe.
This Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe is delicious! Yes, I ate it for lunch and dinner last night. I ate these Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers over a bed of white rice.
If you plan on serving the stuffed peppers over rice also you'll need to double the amount of cooked rice called for in this recipe.
There will be about a cup of cooked white rice leftover which is enough cooked white rice for about 2 servings.
If your cooking this Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe for the family you'll need to cook the extra amount of white rice to have enough.
Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice brought to room temperature (see my perfect white rice every time instructions below)
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- ½ cup diced onion
- ¼ cup diced green bell pepper (cut the cap off one bell pepper and dice)
- 1 minced garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 large green bell peppers
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese plus more for topping
- ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- two 15 oz cans tomato sauce
- additional cooked rice if serving the stuffed bell peppers over rice (double the rice recipe if serving 4 -6 people)
How to make crock pot stuffed peppers
- Before beginning cook the long grain white rice and allow to cool to room temp. (see my perfect white rice every time instructions below)
- Cook the ground beef: In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add the diced onion, diced green pepper, and minced garlic to the pan. Sauté about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned and no longer pink. Breaking up the meat as you cook it. Add the Italian seasoning and cook for one minute, remove from the heat and carefully drain the browned ground beef well. Set aside to cool completely.
- Combine the filling: In a large bowl mix the browned ground beef with 1 cup of the cooked white rice, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Prepare the bell peppers: Cut the cap off each bell pepper, remove the seeds and the fibrous pieces from the inside. Stand each bell pepper inside a 6-quart crock pot.
- Fill the bell peppers: Fill each bell pepper with the filling until almost overflowing.
- Slow cook the stuffed bell peppers: Pour the two cans of tomato sauce over the top of the filled bell peppers. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for 3.5 hours. Right before serving top each bell pepper with about ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Recover and heat until the cheese is melted.
- Serve each stuffed bell pepper over a bed of cooked rice if desired.
Helpful tips for making Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Slightly undercook the long grain white rice so it doesn't get mushy while it is cooking inside the bell peppers.
- Trim off a thin slice from the bottom of the peppers that will not stand up straight.
- Cooking time will depend on how large your stuffed bell peppers are. Small bell peppers will take less time to cook than large bell peppers. Stuffed bell peppers should be soft but still, hold their shape when done.
- You can tightly fit 6 large bell peppers into a 6-quart crock pot.
How To Make Perfect White Rice Every Time
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
Directions
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs almost clear. This may take up to five minutes. Do not skip this step. This is one of the secrets to cooking white rice that is not mushy.
- While you are rinsing the rice measure 2 cups of water ( and salt if using) into a saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Turn the burner on high and bring the water to a hard boil.
- Add the well-rinsed rice to the pot and stir once just to make sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Return the pot to a full boil. Stir once more to make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot and to break up any clumps of rice. Place the lid on the pot and boil hard for 1 minute.
- After 1 minute turn the heat off. Do not lift the lid of the pot. If the rice water starts to sputter and run over the sides of the pot slide the pot off the hot burner. Leave undisturbed for 20 to 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes you may lift the lid and check on the rice. It should be cooked completely with no water in the bottom of the pot. Use a spoon or fork to fluff the rice up. If you can still see water put the lid back on the pot and wait another 20 minutes. By then the rice should have absorbed all the water and be cooked perfectly, still holding its shape and not mushy.
- If your rice is mushy you did not measure the water or rice correctly or bring the water to a hot enough boil. Dump it and start over again or eat the mushy rice if you can't stand to throw it away.
- I have been cooking perfect fluffy rice this way for over 20 years. It works no matter how much rice you are cooking. The amount of water to long grain white rice ratio is always the same. 2 times the amount of water for the amount of rice.
- 1 cup of uncooked rice will yield 2 cups of cooked rice.
More recipes you'll love
Check out the recipe I enjoy making using bell peppers.
Print the Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe below
Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice brought to room temperature (see my perfect white rice everytime instructions below)
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- ½ cup diced onion
- ¼ cup diced green bell pepper (cut the cap off one bell pepper and dice)
- 1 whole garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 large green bell peppers
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese plus more for topping
- ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 cans tomato sauce ((15 oz. cans))
Instructions
- Before beginning cook the long grain white rice and allow to cool to room temp. (see my perfect white rice everytime instructions below)
- In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add the diced onion, diced green pepper, and minced garlic to the pan. Sauté about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned and no longer pink. Breaking up the meat as you cook it. Add the Italian seasoning and cook for one minute, remove from the heat and carefully drain the browned ground beef well. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a large bowl mix the browned ground beef with 1 cup of the cooked white rice, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Cut the cap off each bell pepper, remove the seeds and the fibrous pieces from the inside. Stand each bell pepper inside a 6-quart crock pot.
- Fill each bell pepper with the filling until almost overflowing.
- Pour the two cans of tomato sauce over the top of the filled bell peppers. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for 3.5 hours. Right before serving top each bell pepper with about ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Recover and heat until the cheese is melted.
- Serve each stuffed bell pepper over a bed of cook white rice if desired.
Recipe Expert Tips
How To Cook White Rice Perfectly Every Time
Ingredients- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
- Rinse the white rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs almost clear. This may take up to five minutes. Do not skip this step. This is one of the secrets to cooking white rice that is not mushy.
- While you are rinsing the rice measure 2 cups of water ( and salt if using) into a saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Turn the burner on high and bring the water to a hard boil.
- Add the well-rinsed rice to the pot and stir once just to make sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Return the pot to a full boil. Stir once more to make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot and to break up any clumps of rice. Place the lid on the pot and boil hard for 1 minute.
- After 1 minute turn the heat off. Do not lift the lid of the pot. If the rice water starts to sputter and run over the sides of the pot slide the pot off the hot burner. Leave undisturbed for 20 to 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes you may lift the lid and check on the rice. It should be cooked completely with no water in the bottom of the pot. Use a spoon or fork to fluff the rice up. If you can still see water put the lid back on the pot and wait another 20 minutes. By then the rice should have absorbed all the water and be cooked perfectly, still holding its shape and not mushy.
- If your rice is mushy you did not measure the water or rice correctly or bring the water to a hot enough boil. Dump it and start over again or eat the mushy rice if you can't stand to throw it away.
- I have been cooking perfect white rice this way for over 20 years. It works no matter how much rice you are cooking. The amount of water to long grain white rice ratio is always the same. 2 times the amount of water for the amount of rice.
- 1 cup of uncooked rice will yield 2 cups of cooked white rice.
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