This Unstuffed Peppers recipe is a delicious skillet dinner with ground beef, rice, diced tomatoes, and melted cheese! It’s loaded with flavor and an easy weekday meal that the family will love!

Unstuffed Peppers in a skillet with a spoon scooping it up.

Unstuffed Peppers

I have a feeling that this Unstuffed Peppers recipe is going to stay in your dinner rotation for quite some time! It’s easy to throw together with everyday ingredients, it’s economical, lower on the carb scale, filling and satisfying, freezes well, make-ahead friendly, and absolutely delicious.

The combination of ground beef and sausage along with onions and garlic add complexity to this dish right off the bat. Diced tomatoes add fresh/vibrant flavor, and my favorite seasonings and flavor enhancers round out the flavor profile in a really impressive way. And of course, the hot melty cheese on top is to die for!

Don’t miss my PRO TIPS below– and please let me know what you think when you try it!

How to Make It

Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Cook and crumble the ground beef, sausage, and onions. Drain grease and add the bell peppers. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and seasonings followed by the diced tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon. 

A skillet of cooked ground beef and sausage with uncooked diced peppers next to a skillet with cooked meat, peppers, diced tomatoes, and seasonings.

Add chicken broth and marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cooked rice.

Rice being added and mixed into an unstuffed pepper filling.

Top with cheese and bake uncovered at 375° for 15 minutes. Serve!

Unstuffed Peppers with cheese on top before and after being baked.

Pro Tips

  • Meat: All ground beef can be used for this recipe if preferred or for convenience purposes, however the combination of beef and sausage does create a more savory and complex flavor profile. Note that additional salt may be needed to taste if sausage is omitted.
  • Sausage: I love using Jimmy Dean’s regular sausage for this (it tastes like breakfast sausage), but hot, mild, or sweet Italian sausage are excellent choices as well.
  • Rice: I use white long grain rice, but any variety works. Cooked cauliflower rice may also be used. I prefer to steam the rice in chicken broth instead of water for more flavor.
  • Shred the cheese from a block if possible, it will taste and melt better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar and Cabot Monterey Jack. Low moisture/whole milk mozzarella works well too!
  • Marinara Sauce: High quality marinara goes a long way in the final result. I love using Rao’s or Carbone marinara. 
  • Chicken Broth: It may seem counterintuitive to use chicken broth instead of beef broth in this recipe, but it adds a nice depth of flavor that contrasts well with the beef.
  • Want More Stuffed Peppers? Try my traditional Stuffed Bell Peppers and Stuffed Pepper Soup next!

Make Ahead Method

  • Prepare the meat mixture as outlined and let it cool completely. Shred the cheese. Store in separate airtight containers for  up to 2 days. 
  • When ready to bake, transfer the meat filling to a lightly greased casserole dish and top with cheese. 
  • Cover and bake for 18 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes, or until the cheese is hot and melted.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers reheat well!

Unstuffed Peppers in a white bowl with a fork on the side.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 3.6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Casserole Dish– This is the one pictured in this recipe, I love it. It conducts heat well and is high quality.
  • Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
  • Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
  • Box cheese grater – I always shred cheese from a block in my recipes. It melts and tastes better than packaged shredded cheese.

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Unstuffed Peppers in a skillet with ground beef, sausage, rice, tomatoes, and cheese.

Unstuffed Peppers

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 people
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This Unstuffed Peppers recipe is EASY to make in a single skillet with ground beef, rice, and melted cheese! It's loaded with flavor and an easy weekday meal that the family will love!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • ½ lb. ground beef
  • Salt/pepper
  • ½ lb. ground sausage, see notes
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 large bell peppers (any color), diced. About 2 cups.
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¾ teaspoon EACH: dried basil, oregano, onion powder, chili powder
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 ½ cups marinara sauce, see notes
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 ½ cups cooked rice, see notes
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
  • Fresh parsley, to garnish

Instructions

  • Note: Use an oven-safe skillet for this recipe, or transfer to an oven-safe baking dish before topping with cheese and baking.
  • Preheat oven to 375° F. Measure out ingredients before beginning.
  • Season the ground beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef, sausage, and onions to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble for 7-10 minutes, until the meat is brown and cooked through. Drain grease.
  • Decrease the heat to medium and add the bell peppers. Soften for 3 minutes, then add the tomato paste, garlic, basil, oregano, onion powder, and chili powder. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring continuously.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon and stir to combine.
  • Stir in the marinara sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in the rice and top with cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with parsley and serve!

Notes

Pro Tips
  • Meat: All ground beef can be used for this recipe if preferred or for convenience purposes, however the combination of beef and sausage does create a more savory and complex flavor profile. Note that additional salt may be needed to taste if sausage is omitted.
  • Sausage: I love using Jimmy Dean’s regular sausage for this (it tastes like breakfast sausage), but hot, mild, or sweet Italian sausage are excellent choices as well.
  • Rice: I use white long grain rice, but any variety works. Cooked cauliflower rice may also be used. 
  • Shred the cheese from a block if possible, it will taste and melt better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar and Cabot Monterey Jack. Low moisture/whole milk mozzarella works well too!
  • Marinara Sauce: High quality marinara goes a long way in the final result. I love using Rao's or Carbone marinara. 
  • Chicken Broth: It may seem counterintuitive to use chicken broth instead of beef broth in this recipe, but it adds a nice depth of flavor that contrasts well with the beef.
  • Want More Stuffed Peppers? Try my traditional Stuffed Bell Peppers and Stuffed Pepper Soup next!
Cooking the Rice: I prefer to steam the rice in chicken broth instead of water for more flavor.
  • ½ cup uncooked white long grain rice + 1 cup broth = 1 ½ cups cooked rice
  • Bring the broth to a boil, add the rice, bring back to a boil. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Steam for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Add 1 tbsp. butter (optional), and fluff with a fork.
Make Ahead Method
  • Prepare the meat mixture as outlined and let it cool completely. Shred the cheese. Store in separate airtight containers for  up to 2 days. 
  • When ready to bake, transfer the meat filling to a lightly greased casserole dish and top with cheese. 
  • Cover and bake for 18 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes, or until the cheese is hot and melted.
Storage
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers reheat well!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 424kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 1043mg, Potassium: 759mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 938IU, Vitamin C: 46mg, Calcium: 332mg, Iron: 3mg
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Stephanie