Ground Beef Ricotta Zucchini Stuffed Peppers

Published: Jan 23, 2022 · Modified: Jan 23, 2022 by

Italian Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beefiness are like a low-carb lasagna prepared in their ain edible dish. These Lasagna Stuffed Peppers are a delicious mix of ground beef, orzo & love apple sauce, all stuffed into tri-colour peppers. A hearty dinner prepare in 45! Low carb, keto, and gluten-gratuitous options are bachelor.

Closeup of yellow bell pepper on serving plate with rest in background.

New year's resolutions ever seem to come up total circle with the new year bringing a renewed drive to eat better, exercise more, and try to stay every bit salubrious as possible. These Baked Stuffed Peppers bring anybody'southward favorite Italian flavors to the table without the heavy carb load.

I'm a sucker for anything Italian, from Flossy Sausage Pasta to Meatball Casseroles to Strombolis simply this blimp peppers with ground beef recipe just happens to exist one of the healthiest. And it'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to make as well!

Pepper is cut to show filling on inside.

Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

Why practice I telephone call information technology lasagna stuffed peppers? Well it has all the layered flavors of lasagna from the meat sauce, to the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses to the orzo pasta. And it makes dinner in 1 dish similar a casserole except everyone's is blimp into their own pepper.

Overhead of stuffed peppers with ground beef on white serving platter.

Why You'll Love These Stuffed Peppers with Basis Beef

It'southward an piece of cake and complete dinner in each pepper!
Beautiful Italian flavors - layered like a lasagna
Great way to get your veggies including the extra tomatoes and zucchini added
Relatively cheap to make
Information technology's gluten-gratuitous and with a few changes, keto-friendly
Many ways to alter it up to adapt your family'south tastes
Great repast prep idea - brand ahead and serve the next day or freeze
Delicious leftovers for dejeuner or dinner

Variations

Instead of beef - use basis chicken, turkey, pork or Italian sausage
More Veggies - endeavour adding corn, mushrooms, spinach, kale either in place of zucchini or in addition to information technology
Alter out the orzo - for quinoa, rice, couscous, barley, riced cauliflower or farrow
Cheeses - use your favorite cheeses such every bit fontina, pepper jack or sharp cheddar (a piddling less Italian simply withal delicious)
Similar it spicy? - add red pepper flakes
Don't like bong peppers? But prepare the filling, cooking some diced peppers (optional) in with the onion and garlic, browning the basis beef, then adding to orzo-cheese mixture. Pour into a casserole dish that has been coated with non-stick spray and bake every bit directed in recipe.
Keto Stuffed Peppers – change out the orzo for riced cauliflower and yous have the perfect keto repast. To brand it lower carb, switch the sweet bell peppers to light-green bell peppers.
Low Carb Stuffed Peppers – follow much the same swaps equally keto stuffed peppers. You can as well lower the carb count by opting for cream cheese, cottage cheese, caprine animal cheese or spinach and artichoke dip in lieu of the ricotta cheese

Oftentimes asked questions

Practice I have to precook the peppers before stuffing them?

No, many people use them every bit is simply be aware that the peppers may have a slight crispness or crunch when the dish is fully cooked. I precooked the peppers for this dish, as information technology takes but five minutes, and they came out perfectly tender and firm enough to hold the filling.

Tin can I repast prep these blimp bong peppers in advance?

Yep! These can easily be made the day earlier and refrigerated. But add some actress time to the baking to make sure they warm through.

Can I freeze stuffed peppers?

Yep, it'south a cracking meal to make-alee, broil as directed, then freeze until you're ready to serve. They will final about 3 months in the freezer.

How long do I cook Stuffed Peppers?

When baking stuffed sweet peppers, bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. See below for optional cooking methods and times.

How long practice you reheat bell peppers stuffed with basis beef?

Just thaw the dish overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in a 350 degree oven for almost 15-20 minutes. You tin likewise reheat them from frozen but it will have a bit longer, xx-30 minutes or until heated through.

Ingredients

Bell Peppers - are vitamin and fiber-rich. Try to purchase peppers that are similar in size so they melt at the aforementioned rate. Opt for larger ones that can hold more filling.

Beefiness - is a great source of poly peptide. Information technology is best to apply lean basis beef, or opt for turkey, chicken, pork, or ground Italian sausage

Orzo - a small pasta that looks similar to rice and fits very well into the peppers. Other options include quinoa, riced cauliflower, and regular rice.

Onion/Garlic - lends flavor to the filling

Salt – blends the flavors together

Love apple, Zucchini - great add-ins that add actress vegetables to the mix

Tomato plant Sauce – gives the filling both season and moistness. Like it spicy? Accept the heat up a notch by using burn-roasted tomatoes.

Cheese - mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan carry the Italian lasagna flavor throughout the pepper mixture. Feel free to use other favorite cheeses such as foam cheese in place of ricotta, or gruyere in place of mozzarella for a more upscale blimp pepper

Olive Oil - used to saute vegetables.

Seasonings - basil and oregano lend the Italian flavor to the sauce. Feel free to add other herbs such as oregano or thyme.

Peppers for Stuffed Peppers

Whatsoever color of peppers tin can be used for this dish, though I adopt the crimson and yellowish peppers. They all have slightly dissimilar flavors then employ your favorite. Saying that, if you are on a keto or low carb nutrition, green bell peppers are lower in carbs than their sweeter cousins.

How to Make Stuffed Bell Peppers

Preparing filling

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high estrus. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.(photo 1)
Break upwardly the ground beefiness into the skillet. (photo 2)
Add the herbs and spices then cook until meat is browned and cooked through.(photo 3)
In a large bowl, combine cooked orzo, ricotta, one-half of the mozzarella, zucchini and tomatoes.(photograph 4)
Add spaghetti sauce.(photo v)
Stir to combine.(photo 6)

Preparing the peppers

Wash the peppers then cut the tops off. Remove the membrane and seeds.(photo ane)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the peppers. Parboil for five minutes. This extra time volition make the peppers the right softness after baking. Remove from the pan, turn upside down, and let them bleed.(photograph 2)
Place peppers into a greased baking dish. Here'south a tip for yous. If the peppers won't stand upright, trim a trivial off the bottom, notwithstanding leaving bottom intact then stuff with the beef-orzo mixture.(photo 3)
Sprinkle the tops with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.(photograph iv)

Pro-Tip: To keep peppers from falling over, slice some of the bumps off the bottom creating a level base. Practise not cut through into the pepper itself or the contents will leak out. You can likewise prop them upwards with rolled aluminum foil.

Overhead of baked peppers stuffed with orzo and ground beef.

Finish by baking for 25 minutes. It comes out beautifully browned, cheesy, and with all the flavors of your favorite lasagna. I just dear that browned cheese! You tin even put the dish correct under the broiler at the end and get it a little browner.

Tip: If freezing prior to cooking, make sure the ingredients, such equally beef and orzo, take been cooked thoroughly, so freeze.

Looking down on stuffed red bell pepper in baking dish.

An easy dinner, full of vegetables, that'due south perfect for the entire family and can be on the table in 45 minutes. I like to serve it with a side of Caesar salad, some air fryer garlic bread, or a loaf of crusty French Bread for a filling and delicious meal.

Oh, and if y'all happen to have some leftover, it tastes merely equally adept the second time around! Enjoy!

Alternating Cooking Methods for Blimp Peppers

Instant Pot

Mix the raw filling ingredients, no demand to precook, and stuff peppers, leaving off the cheese topping. Pour 1 loving cup – 1-½ cups h2o, depending on whether you are using a half-dozen or 8-qt IP) into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place trivet over h2o. Stand filled peppers on a trivet and cook 10 minutes on loftier then vent pressure immediately. Place cheese on top, comprehend, and let sit until cheese is melted.

Air Fryer

Cook the filling and fill peppers much the aforementioned way as if you were baking them. Save the cheese for later. Identify the filled peppers in an air fryer basket that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and melt at 360 degrees for 10 minutes. Add cheese and air fry for 2-3 more minutes.

Crockpot

Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray. Mix the raw filling ingredients, no demand to precook, and stuff into peppers. Fix bated the cheese for afterward. Place ½ cup water in the lesser of the crockpot so stand the peppers upright in the water and melt on high for 3 hours or on depression for 6 hours. At the end, top with cheese and cover until the cheese is melted.

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6 large bell peppers, red, xanthous or orange
ii Tablespoons olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
ane-2 cloves garlic minced
1 lb. lean basis beef
one Tablespoon basil
1 Tablespoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup uncooked orzo, cooked according to package directions (quinoa or zoodles for gluten-free)
½ cup ricotta cheese
8 oz mozzarella shredded
½ zucchini diced
3 tomatoes diced
two cups favorite pasta sauce
¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated (or Pecorino Romano)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a rectangular baking dish that will hold all the peppers by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Gear up aside.
Wash the peppers then cut the tops off. Remove the membrane and seeds. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, drop in the peppers and parboil for 5 minutes. Remove and turn upside down to drain.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic for v minutes. Add basis beef and spices and cook until meat is dark-brown and cooked through.
Drain meat and cascade into large bowl. Add together cooked orzo, ricotta, half of the mozzarella, zuchini, tomatoes and spaghetti sauce. Stir to combine.
Stuff peppers and place in prepared blistering dish. Sprinkle the tops with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot aslope some warm crusty bread.

VARIATIONS

Instead of beef - utilize ground craven, turkey, pork or Italian sausage
More than Veggies - try adding corn, mushrooms, spinach, kale either in place of zucchini or in addition to it
Change out the orzo - for quinoa, rice, couscous, barley, riced cauliflower or farrow
Cheeses - use your favorite cheeses such as fontina, pepper jack or sharp cheddar (a little less Italian merely still delicious)
Similar it spicy? - add cherry pepper flakes
Don't like bell peppers? Simply prepare the filling, cooking some diced peppers (optional) in with the onion and garlic, browning the basis beef, and so adding to orzo-cheese mixture. Pour into a casserole dish that has been coated with non-stick spray and bake as directed in recipe.
Keto Stuffed Peppers – modify out the orzo for riced cauliflower and you take the perfect keto repast. To arrive lower carb, switch the sweet bong peppers to green bell peppers.
Low Carb Stuffed Peppers – follow much the aforementioned swaps every bit keto stuffed peppers. Yous can besides lower the carb count past opting for cream cheese, cottage cheese, goat cheese or spinach and artichoke dip in lieu of the ricotta cheese

This post has been updated with stride-past-step instructions and new photos. It was first published on February fifteen, 2015.

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Source: https://2cookinmamas.com/lasagna-stuffed-peppers/