Easy Italian Stuffed Peppers – Cheesy Baked Dinner Recipe

Okay, so I messed up Italian stuffed peppers at least twice before I got them right. First time? The peppers were basically mush. Second time? Rice was crunchy. But third time’s the charm, right?

Look, I’m gonna be honest with you—I never thought I’d be the person writing about Italian Stuffed Peppers. My cooking skills were pretty basic until my Italian neighbor Maria (shoutout to Maria!) made these for a block party last summer. I literally went back for thirds. THIRDS. And I’m not even embarrassed about it.

So naturally, I cornered her by the dessert table and basically begged for the recipe. She laughed at me but eventually gave me her version, which I’ve tweaked about a hundred times since then. My 8-year-old refuses to eat anything green normally, but somehow she devours these. Kids are weird.

What Makes These Italian Stuffed Peppers Different :

Here’s the thing… most stuffed pepper recipes online are either bland or ridiculously complicated. And don’t even get me started on the ones that want you to blanch the peppers first. Who has time for that on a Tuesday night?

These Italian stuffed peppers are basically everything I want in a dinner: cheesy, hearty, and honestly pretty hard to mess up once you know the tricks. Plus, you can prep them ahead, which is clutch when you’re juggling work calls and homework battles.

The Italian part? That comes from using Italian sausage (game changer), Italian seasoning, and an obscene amount of mozzarella and parmesan. Because if we’re being honest, cheese makes everything better.

The Great Pepper Debate :

Before we get into the actual recipe, let’s talk peppers. I’ve tried this with red, yellow, orange, and green bell peppers. Here’s my totally unscientific ranking:

Red peppers are the sweetest and my personal favorite. They’re also more expensive, which is annoying.

Yellow and orange are pretty good too—sweet and colorful.

Green peppers work fine, but they’re slightly bitter. My neighbor swears by them for “authentic” flavor, but I think she’s just being cheap. (Love you, Carol!)

I usually grab whatever’s on sale because I’m normal like that. Sometimes I’ll mix colors if I’m feeling fancy or if Instagram is involved.

Ingredients :

Okay, here’s what you need. And trust me, I’ve tried substituting almost everything at some point because I’m either lazy or forgot to buy something.

For the peppers:

• 6 large bell peppers (any color, your choice)
• 1 pound Italian sausage (I use mild because my kid exists, but spicy is amazing)
• 1 pound ground beef (or use all beef/all sausage—I won’t judge)
• 1 cup uncooked white rice (or minute rice if you’re in a rush)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained (don’t skip draining or it’ll be soup)
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (do NOT buy pre-shredded—it’s gross and doesn’t melt right)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 medium onion, diced (makes me cry every single time)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (I use way more because I’m obsessed)
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Good luck finding decent bell peppers this time of year if you’re shopping at my local grocery store. They’re either tiny or have weird soft spots. I’ve learned to just buy extra and pick through them like I’m hunting for treasure.

Also, about that Italian sausage—remove it from the casing before cooking. Learned that one the hard way. Tried cooking whole sausages once and then crumbling them. Disaster. Complete disaster.

How to Make Italian Stuffed Peppers :

Step 1: Prep Those Peppers

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Actually, do this first before you forget. I’ve started cooking with a cold oven more times than I’ll admit.

Cut the tops off your peppers and remove all the seeds and white membranes inside. This part is weirdly satisfying? Just me? Okay.

Here’s a trick I discovered by accident—if your peppers don’t stand up straight, slice a tiny bit off the bottom to make them flat. Just don’t cut through to the inside or you’ll have leaky peppers. Been there.

Step 2: Cook the Rice

Cook your rice according to package directions. I know this seems obvious, but I’ve definitely put raw rice in stuffed peppers before thinking it would cook. It doesn’t. Well, not really.

You want about 2 cups of cooked rice. Sometimes I make extra and eat it with butter while I’m cooking because I have no self-control.

Step 3: The Meat Situation

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add your diced onion and cook until it’s soft and starting to turn golden, maybe 5 minutes? I never time this part, honestly. Just wait until it smells amazing.

Throw in the minced garlic and cook for another minute. DO NOT walk away during this step. Garlic goes from perfect to burned in like 30 seconds, and burned garlic is the worst.

Add the Italian sausage and ground beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon (or whatever you have—I’ve used a spatula before) and cook until it’s browned. This takes maybe 10 minutes. Drain the excess fat unless you want greasy peppers, which… no thanks.

Step 4: Mix Everything Together

Okay, so this is where the magic happens. To your cooked meat mixture, add:

• The cooked rice
• Drained diced tomatoes
• Half of the tomato sauce (save the rest)
• 1 cup of mozzarella (save the rest for topping)
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

Stir everything together. It’ll look kinda weird at first, kinda lumpy and more brown than you’d expect. But that’s normal. Taste it and adjust the seasoning. I usually add more garlic powder at this point because apparently I have a problem.

Step 5: Stuff Those Peppers

Arrange your pepper shells in a 9×13 baking dish. Mine barely fit, so sometimes I have to use two dishes or make the peppers cozy.

Spoon the filling into each pepper, packing it down gently. Don’t overstuff or they’ll topple over (learned this at Thanksgiving when I was showing off for my in-laws).

Pour the remaining tomato sauce over and around the peppers. This keeps them moist and adds extra flavor.

Step 6: Bake Time

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Make sure it’s actually covering everything because one time I half-covered it and ended up with burned cheese on one side and perfect cheese on the other.

Bake for 45 minutes covered. The peppers should be tender but not falling apart.

Remove the foil, top each pepper with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Put them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and maybe slightly golden on top.

Step 7: The Hardest Part

Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving. I know, I know. The hardest step. I’ve burned my mouth on these more times than I can count because I have zero patience.

My Random Tips That Actually Work :

The Pepper Problem: If your peppers tip over during baking (mine do constantly), just prop them up with balls of aluminum foil. It’s not pretty, but it works.

Leftover Filling: There’s always extra filling. Always. I usually make one or two extra peppers or just eat it with a spoon. Don’t judge me.

Make-Ahead Magic: These Italian stuffed peppers are perfect for meal prep. Assemble them in the morning, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until dinner time. Just add 10 extra minutes to the baking time if they’re cold from the fridge.

Freezer Friendly: Wrap individual stuffed peppers in plastic wrap and then foil. They’ll keep for about 3 months. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for about an hour.

The Cheese Ratio: I’m obsessed with cheese, so I use way more than most recipes call for. Feel free to adjust based on your cheese tolerance level (if such a thing exists).

Vegetarian Version: My cousin is vegetarian and I’ve made these with just veggies and rice. Used mushrooms, zucchini, and extra tomatoes. Worked fine, but I still prefer the meat version.

What to Serve With Italian Stuffed Peppers :

These are pretty filling on their own, but I usually make a simple side salad with Italian dressing (keeping with the theme, you know?). Garlic bread is also amazing if you’re not worrying about carbs.

My husband insists on having them with more parmesan on top. Like, he brings the cheese grater to the table. It’s excessive but I get it.

Oh, and another thing—these are actually really good cold the next day. I eat them straight from the fridge for lunch sometimes. My coworkers think I’m weird, but whatever.

Why You Should Try This Recipe :

Listen, I’m not saying these Italian stuffed peppers will change your life or anything dramatic like that. But they’re really good, relatively easy once you get the hang of it, and the leftovers are excellent. Plus, your kitchen will smell amazing while they’re baking.

My neighbor’s teenage son, who apparently lives on pizza and energy drinks, ate four of these at dinner last week. His mom texted me asking for the recipe, which I’m pretty sure means I won. Is there a competition? No. Am I winning anyway? Absolutely.

Try these and let me know how yours turn out! Seriously, I’m always looking for ways to improve recipes, so if you discover something amazing, share it in the comments.

Happy cooking! (and may your peppers stand up straight) 🌶️😊