How to Make Stuffed Peppers in the Slow Cooker

Traditional Slow-Cooker Stuffed Peppers

First things first, grab your ingredients. You’re going to need bell peppers, ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, tomato sauce and plenty of cheese.

Next, let’s get to the prep; it only takes 20 minutes and is super easy. If you’re looking to introduce teens to cooking, this recipe could be a good start. First, trim the tops off the bell peppers and remove the ribs and seeds. In a 6-inch skillet, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat and add some chopped onion, cooking until it softens. Then, add the chopped garlic and cook for about a minute.

In a large bowl, mix your ground beef, cooked rice, salt and pepper, and add the onion-garlic mixture until everything is well-combined. Now for our favorite part, stuff each pepper with the mixture and place them in your slow cooker. Before turning your slow cooker on, pour a can of tomato sauce over the peppers (if you don’t have a can, jarred tomato sauce works, too).

Let those peppers cook on low for about 6 hours. For the last 30 minutes of cooking, sprinkle cheddar cheese on the peppers. When the cheese is melted, use a slotted spoon, plate and enjoy! Warning, the smell alone will make you drool.

Customize Your Recipe

Let’s make this recipe your own! The bell peppers need to be standard sweet bell peppers, but the color you pick is up to you! For a major color pop moment, think about using a few colors in this slow-cooker stuffed bell peppers dish. When selecting peppers, look for one with a flat bottom that can stand upright.

Next, let’s talk about protein! This recipe traditionally calls for ground beef, but other options we love are ground turkey, ground pork or Italian sausage. If you opt for Italian sausage, make sure to cut down on salt in the recipe. When it comes to grains, feel free to use brown rice or quinoa.

Part of the reason we love slow-cooker bell peppers is because of the delightful seasoning. Consider adding an Italian seasoning blend, Chili powder or bring on the spice with some chopped hot chile peppers! When it comes to the cheese, switch it up with Mexican cheese blend, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, pepper Jack or Colby Jack.

Try adding a garnish to your cooked pepper if you’re feeling a little extra. We love fresh herbs (such as chopped basil, cilantro or parsley), chopped green onions or Parmesan!

Try New Flavor Profiles

Based on the suggestions above, try customizing your slow-cooker bell peppers to various flavor profiles. Trust us; it’s easier than you think!

For an Italian take, for your protein, substitute Italian sausage for the beef (remember to adjust your salt to taste!). Then try using pasta sauce rather than tomato and mozzarella cheese. After cooking, garnish your pepper with Parmesan and chopped basil and/or parsley. Talk about a ‘chef’s kiss’ moment.

Switch up your ‘Taco Tuesday’ with a Tex-Mex take! The substitutions are as easy as using ground pork, adding chili powder, chopped jalapeños, or serrano pepper when sautéing onions, using salsa rather than tomato sauce and your go-to cheese. Garnish with chopped cilantro and/or green onions!

There’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ ingredients to use; just go with what sounds good to you!