Easy Lasagna Stuffed Peppers
These easy lasagna stuffed peppers are the perfect personal-sized meal any time of year but especially in the late summer when that bumper crop of sweet bell peppers is ready to pick!
If you are trying to cut down on your carb intake but still want to enjoy that delicious lasagna dinner, these hearty stuffed peppers (or capsicums) are your answer!
I love cooking with fresh food from the garden, tomatoes and peppers are one of my all time favourites! While you can stuff both with any number of fillings, stuffed peppers will tend to hold up a little better to cooking.
How to Stuff Peppers
Two ways to stuff peppers:
Half pepper – Cut your pepper in half, remove the pith and seeds and spoon in your filling. This is a great option for smaller sized servings or if you are planning to use the stuffed pepper as a side dish.
Whole pepper – Remove the top of the pepper with the stem. Clean out the pith and seeds. Spoon the filling into the pepper. This is a great option when the pepper with be the main course meal. This is also a great option for using up more peppers and getting more veggies into each serving! Plus the presentation, in my opinion, is perfection!
What is the best pepper for stuffed peppers
Getting the right pepper is especially important for stuffed peppers since the full pepper will be in display.
Variety
Bell peppers are the best choice for this main course, stuffed pepper, meal. They are large and have a nice hollow open cavity on the inside making them the ideal choice for main course stuffed peppers.
Colour
Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are ideal as they have thin tender walls. This will make soft, sweet, and delicious cooked peppers.
Most green peppers are just unripe peppers. This mean they will have a much tougher and thicker flesh. They are far less sweet. The pepper will stay much firmer than their ripened counterparts even after cooking. So, if you are a fan of green peppers, you might need to wait an extra few minutes for them to become tender in the oven.
Appearance
When choosing a pepper, make sure the skin in free from blemishes and wrinkles. There should be no softened or moulding areas, including the stem. The skin should appear bright, shinny, and firm.
How to Freeze Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers are a really great make-ahead dish that you can store away and freeze for later. Freeze the stuffed peppers before or after cooking. The filling should be fully cooked before going into the pepper. Most recipes call for a cooked filling anyways.
Freezing raw stuffed peppers
- Follow your recipe up until you have filled the peppers.
- Let the filling come to room temperature.
- If your recipe calls for shredded cheese on top, leave this off.
- Wrap each pepper in cling-film.
- Store the peppers in an airtight container or in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Freezing cooked stuffed peppers
- After the peppers are fully cooked, allow them to come to room temperature.
- Place the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours or until they are firm.
- Wrap each in cling-film and store in an airtight container, or in a freezer bag, for up to 3 months.
To cook frozen stuffed peppers
- Remove from freezer and place in an oven proof dish.
- Apply fresh grated cheese, if desired.
- Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 375 ºF (180 ºC) oven for 35-45 mins, or until heated through.
- If your pepper has a cheese topping, remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
What to serve with stuffed peppers
Since these lasagna stuffed peppers are full of beautifully seasoned ground beef and rich cheese, they should be treated as a main course meal.
Perfect accompaniments
- Simple crisp lettuce salad. I love this accompaniment for stuffed peppers because the juices and flavour from the pepper mix with the salad, creating an even more delicious dressing!
- Rice. This stuffed pepper is full of hearty flavour. A simple side of white rice is the perfect balance for this meal.
- Quinoa or couscous. Similar to rice, these delicate grains are the perfect contrast for a rich meal.
- Crusty bread or garlic bread. This is a lasagna stuffed pepper after all! What goes better with lasagna than bread to scoop up all that delicious filling at the end!?
- Cauliflower rice is a great option if you are looking to up your veggie content or want a grain-free option!
How to store leftover stuffed peppers
Let them cool to room temperature. Then seal the leftover cooked peppers in an airtight container or covered in cling-film. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For longer storage refer to the freezer directions.
To reheat the leftovers, place on a baking sheet, or oven proof dish. Bake in a preheated 375 ºF (200 ºC) oven for 10-12 minutes or until the filling is heated all the way through.
Alternatively, you can reheat them in an air fryer for 8-10 minutes.
Ingredients
2 lbs lean ground beef 900g
½ container ricotta cheese 237 g
1 teaspoon dried parsley 5 mL
1 teaspoon garlic salt 5 mL
8oz can tomato sauce 650 mL
6 bell peppers (colours of choice)
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (or cheese of choice)
Method
- Cut the top off of the bell peppers (capsicums). Remove the seeds and pith. (If you prefer, cut them in half and remove the seeds and pith).
- In large pot on medium-high heat, place the ground beef.
- Stir and mash the ground beef to make sure it is cooking evenly and to break up any large chunks.
- Continue to stir and breakup the ground beef occasionally, until the meat is cooked and there is no pink left.
- Add the tomato sauce to the meat and stir to fully incorporate.
- Simmer the meat mixture while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
- In a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the parsley and garlic salt.
- Grate the cheese.
- Preheat the oven to 375 ºF (190 ºC).
- Place the peppers in an oven proof casserole dish. (If you are stuffing whole peppers make sure they are tight enough together that they will not fall over.)
- Fill half of each pepper with the meat mixture.
- Layer in 2-3 Tablespoons of the ricotta mixture.
- Fill the rest of the pepper with ground meat mixture.
- Place on top a generous heap of grated cheese.
- Continue to do this for all of the peppers.
- Bake the peppers for 35-40 minutes or until the pepper is soft and the cheese is nicely golden. (Green peppers may take longer than the other bell pepper varieties.)
- Remove and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
Easy Lasagna Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef 900g
- ½ container ricotta cheese 237 g
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley 5 mL
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt 5 mL
- 8 oz can tomato sauce 650 mL
- 6 bell peppers colours of choice
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese or cheese of choice
Instructions
- Cut the top off the bell peppers. Remove the seeds and pith.
- In large pot on medium-high heat, place the ground beef.
- Stir and mash to ground beef to make sure it is cooking evenly and to break up any large chunks.
- Continue to stir and breakup the ground beef occasionally, until the meat is cooked and there is no pink left.
- Add the tomato sauce to the meat and stir to fully incorporate.
- Simmer the meat mixture while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
- In a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the parsley and garlic salt.
- Grate the cheese.
- Preheat oven to 375 ºF (190 ºC).
- Place the peppers in an oven proof casserole dish. (If you are stuffing the whole peppers make sure they are tight enough together that they will not fall over.)
- Fill half of each pepper with the meat mixture.
- Layer in 2-3 spoonful's of the ricotta mixture.
- Fill the rest of the pepper up with ground meat mixture.
- Place on top a generous heap of grated cheese.
- Do this for all of the peppers.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the pepper is soft and the cheese is nicely golden.
- Remove and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
Not a fan of peppers? Try Stuffed tomatoes or Fall Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash instead!
