Stuffed Pepper Casserole features Italian sausage, peppers, salsa, rice and more cooked to perfection beneath a layer of gooey mozzarella cheese. It’s a supremely satisfying dinner that’s easy to make all in one pan!
Be sure to check out more of my favorite stuffed pepper recipes like Stuffed Pepper Soup, Turkey Stuffed Peppers and Grilled Pulled Pork Stuffed Peppers.
Table of Contents
- Why we love this Stuffed Pepper Casserole:
- Reader Rating
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole Ingredients Needed:
- How to make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to store Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Can I freeze Stuffed Pepper Casserole?
- Serving suggestions:
- More Casserole Recipes You’ll Love!
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe
One those nights that you need a one pan dinner to feed your family, this easy Stuffed Pepper Casserole is the recipe to turn to!
This easy casserole recipe is a tried and true favorite in my kitchen. It’s highly requested by all – even the pickiest of eaters who usually turn their nose when they see veggies.
It’s filling, cheesy, flavorful and SO easy to make. There’s a whole lot to love about this quick one pan dinner recipe!
Why we love this Stuffed Pepper Casserole:
- One Pan – It’s easy to make and even easier to clean up!
- Family Friendly – Even if you have picky eaters at the table, they’ll love this cheesy casserole recipe. They might not even notice all the bell peppers and protein they’re eating.
- Versatile – There are plenty of ways to change up this casserole to best fit your personal preferences. Scroll down to see some of my suggested variations to try!
Stuffed Pepper Casserole Ingredients Needed:
- Italian Sausage – Can be swapped with ground turkey, chicken or beef. Have some of this Crockpot Shredded Chicken to use up? It works perfectly in here!
- Rice – You can use long grain brown rice instead of long grain white, you will increase the cook time to 30-45 minutes. This will depend on the kind of long grain rice you use — use the package directions as a guide.
- Bell Peppers – You can use any color of bell peppers you like best. Red and green are my favorites to use in this casserole recipe.
- Mozzarella – The way that this melts on top of the casserole is absolute perfection. Feel free to mix up the cheese depending on your tastes and what you have.
- Onion – A white or yellow onion both work well.
- Salsa – In a pinch, tomato sauce will also get the job done, but you may want to add extra seasoning.
- Garlic – You can always add a little more if you’re a big garlic fan!
- Seasonings – I use a simple but bold blend of oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
How to make Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Take a quick look at just how easy this stuffed pepper casserole recipe is! For more info about ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page where you’ll find the recipe card.
- Cook the sausage. Then, mix in the peppers and onions. Cook until just softened.
- Mix in the garlic and seasonings.
- Pour broth into the pan.
- Mix in the salsa and rice.
- Stir everything together. Bring to a simmer, cover, lower the heat and let it cook for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Sprinkle with cheese, cover, and let the cheese melt.
Variations and Substitutions
- Add extra veggies: Try mushrooms, finely chopped spinach, onions, or shredded carrots or zucchini! This recipe is a great one for tossing in those last few veggies that need to go before your grocery restock.
- Spice it up: I rely on Italian sausage and prepared salsa to give this recipe a ton of flavor without needing any extra seasoning. You can always go ahead and add in extra herbs and spices if you prefer, or make it spicy with a pinch of cayenne or some crushed red peppers.
How to store Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Simply let the casserole cool slightly before covering tightly and refrigerating for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a splash of broth or water, cover and pop it in a 250-300°F oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
Can I freeze Stuffed Pepper Casserole?
Absolutely! To freeze, you can cook this casserole completely and let cool slightly before wrapping with plastic wrap and then foil (or a lid, but plastic wrap is always a good idea!). Freeze up to 3 months.
To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, cover and reheat in a 250-300°F oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.
Serving suggestions:
This one pan recipe is a full meal all by itself! If you did want to pair it with anything, I recommend a veggie side dish like Air Fryer Broccoli or Cheesy Baked Asparagus or some of this Garlic Bread!
More Casserole Recipes You’ll Love!
Pin this recipe to save for later
Pin this recipe to your favorite boardStuffed Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- 375 grams ground Italian sausage casings removed, one small package
- 2 cups chopped bell peppers any color
- ½ medium onion (finely diced)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup salsa or tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup long grain white rice rinsed
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble and cook Italian sausage until beginning to brown. Add peppers and onion and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, salt, oregano, pepper and cumin and cook 1 minute.
- Add broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the salsa.
- Rinse rice well under cold water and add to the skillet.
- Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat slightly, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until rice is cooked through. (*BAKE: You can also cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until cooked through).
- Sprinkle with cheese, cover and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Want to save this recipe?
Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
Tag @thereciperebel
Chelsey says
I love your website Ashley! It has taught me to enjoy cooking again. I used to avoid cooking because I hate the mess! All of your recipes are delicious and I love the quick cleanup. This recipe is one of my favourites. We also love your orzo recipes. Thanks for what you do!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you so much Chelsey!
Jane says
This was so good! Easy and delicious. This will be in the rotation for sure.
Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Jane!
Daisy says
Delicious. So easy to make and everyone loved it.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Daisy!
Kimberly says
Made tonight for dinner – super easy to make! Both myself and the hubs enjoyed it! Added in some zucchini and used ground turkey.
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, Kimberly!
Joan Dzialo says
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Megan says
What’s the serving size for nutritional facts?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Megan it’s 1/6 of the recipe. Enjoy!
Tobi says
Could you use ground beef instead of sausage?
Erin says
We used ground beef, jasmine rice and picante hot salsa and it was amazing. My picky eaters (age 3 and 6) even enjoyed it.
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, Erin!
Payton Y. says
Would this meal be freezable after preparing?? I make this often and would love to make a couple ahead of time to freeze for easy postpartum meals. Maybe just wait to add the shredded cheese until serving?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Payton, yes! To freeze, you can cook this casserole completely and let cool slightly before wrapping with plastic wrap and then foil (or a lid, but plastic wrap is always a good idea!). Freeze up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a 250-300 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy!
Gianna says
My husband & I loved it! So did my 1 year old. This will definitely be a rotating recipe for us! Delicious.
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thank you Gianna!
Reese says
Super easy skillet perfect for meal prep. I added chili powder which gave it more of a taco vibe! I’ll be making it again!
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it, Reese.
Bailey says
My husband and I LOVE this recipe. We’ve made it several times and still keep coming back for more. It’s excellent comfort food!
Kate says
Delicious! My 5 young kids all loved it!
Anisha says
Made this with Rotel and it was fantastic, this is kid approved by my 5&4 year olds. Will make again thanks!
Kim says
I have hatch chili sausage with monterey cheese. Do you think it would taste ok if I used this in the dish? Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kim! No idea, I haven’t tried it myself so it would be hard for me to say. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Leslie says
I made this for the first time last night and it was a huge hit. I printed out your recipe and it went straight into my “go to recipes” binder. I doubled the recipe to have leftovers. I didn’t have enough regular salsa but had avocado salsa on hand. So, I used a cup of that with a cup of regular salsa and it was very flavorful!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Leslie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Alyssa says
Hi there!
In your notes you wrote to “increase the broth to 2 cups” if you use brown rice but the recipe already has 2 cups of broth with white rice. Did you mean to increase it “by” 2 cups (to 4 cups)?
Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Alyssa! That was a typo, I would say 2 cups liquid to 1 cup rice would be enough for brown rice too. I would stick with 2 cups, but it may need to cook longer. Hope this helps!
Melissa says
Tried this recipe and it was a huge hit. Already bought the stuff to make it again but I’m trying it with beef this time instead of sausage.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Melissa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Racheal says
Just came here to say…I have made this soooo many times and it NEVER fails to please a crowd! So easy and soooo good!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Racheal! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!