Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers
Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers feature tender green peppers brimming with a rich mix of rice, beef, and spicy Italian sausage, rounded out by Parmigiano-Reggiano. Each bite balances hearty, meaty depth with a bright tomato base and a hint of heat. Serve for a cozy weeknight dinner or a comforting weekend meal that satisfies everyone at the table.
- Prep30 mins
- Cook1 hr 20 mins
- Serves8
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 50 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 28 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 83 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 30
- Heart Health
- 55
- Metabolic
- 56
- Digestive
- 29
- Inflammatory
- 46
- Performance
- 52
- General Wellness
- 1
Gather all the ingredients.
- 2
Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the cooked rice aside.
- 3
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- 4
To make the sauce: Cook the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer half of the cooked onion to a large bowl and set it aside.
- 5
Stir the marinara sauce, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes into the skillet with the cooked onion; cook and stir for 1 minute.
- 6
Pour the sauce mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- 7
Combine the ground beef, Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, Italian parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in the bowl with the reserved onions; mix well. Stir in the cooked rice and Parmigiano Reggiano. Stuff the bell peppers with the beef and sausage mixture.
- 8
Place the stuffed bell pepper halves in the baking dish over the tomato sauce; sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- 9
Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking until the meat is no longer pink, the bell peppers are tender, and the cheese is browned on top, an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!
- Calories 670.99 kcal High 34%
- Protein 31.67 g Good Source 63%
- Carbohydrate 81.5 g 30%
- Total Fat 25.22 g High 32%
- Saturated Fat 9.14 g High 46%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 63.12 mg High 21%
- Sodium 880.24 mg High 38%
- Dietary Fiber 11.71 g Good Source 42%
- Total Sugars 18.99 g --
- Added Sugars 3.22 g Moderate 6%
- Calcium 449.59 mg Good Source 35%
- Iron 6.05 mg Good Source 34%
- Potassium 1448.79 mg Good Source 31%
- Vitamin A 231.29 mcg Good Source 26%
- Vitamin C 28.84 mg Good Source 32%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Tomatoes 🍅
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
- Alcohol 🚫🍷
About This Recipe
Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers is an Italian dinner recipe made with 18 ingredients. It takes about 1 hr 50 mins, serves 8, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Balsamic Vinegar, Beef Broth, Black Pepper, and Cayenne Pepper. Each serving provides about 670.99 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers?
- It is an Italian recipe made with 18 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
- What is Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers made of?
- The main ingredients are Balsamic Vinegar, Beef Broth, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Diced Tomatoes. The full list of 18 is above.
- What goes well with Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers?
- Explore these Italian side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers?
- About 1 hr 50 mins in total: 30 mins to prepare and 1 hr 20 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 670.99 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 18 ingredients and 9 steps.
- Is Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers healthy?
- Chef John's Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers has an easyChef Pro health score of 49/100. Per serving, it provides 670.99 calories and 31.67 g of protein, or 63% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 880.24 mg (38% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 9.14 g (46% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 3.22 g (6% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required