Pizza-Stuffed Bell Peppers

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and white membranes. Place them cut-side up in a baking dish.

2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6-8 minutes until fully browned with no pink remaining.

3. Drain any excess fat, then add the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and sea salt to the skillet. Stir and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.

4. Spoon the meat-sauce mixture evenly into each pepper half, packing it in firmly. Top each stuffed pepper with a generous layer of shredded mozzarella.

5. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

6. Let the peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving — the filling is extremely hot straight from the oven.

Why It Works

These deliver everything people love about pizza — melted cheese, seasoned meat, tangy tomato sauce — without the refined flour crust. The bell pepper acts as a built-in, edible bowl that adds its own sweetness and a satisfying snap when you bite through it. Covering with foil first steams the peppers tender, then removing it lets the cheese develop that irresistible golden-brown crust.

Tips

• Choose peppers that sit flat. Wobbly peppers spill their filling in the oven. If needed, trim a thin slice off the bottom (without cutting through) to create a stable base.
• Don’t overfill. Pack the meat firmly but leave room for the cheese to sit on top. Overfilled peppers overflow and make a mess.
• Prep for the week. Assemble stuffed peppers on Sunday, store uncooked in the fridge, and bake fresh throughout the week. They keep assembled for 2-3 days before baking.