Description
Delicious Italian Stuffed Peppers with a savory ground beef and spaghetti sauce filling, topped with a creamy farmer cheese and basil pesto mixture, and baked to perfection with melted mozzarella cheese. A hearty, comforting low-carb dish perfect for an easy dinner.
Ingredients
Vegetables and Herbs
- 4-6 bell peppers, halved lengthwise with ribs and seeds removed
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Meat and Dairy
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 8 oz. Lifeway Farmer cheese (or ricotta cheese)
- 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
- Grated Parmesan, for garnish
Pantry
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 24 oz. spaghetti sauce
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the stuffed peppers.
- Prepare Peppers: Slice the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the ribs and seeds. Place them cut side up in a large baking dish.
- Season and Bake Peppers: Brush the peppers with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
- Sauté Onion: Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently until softened.
- Add Garlic and Seasoning: Stir in the minced garlic and Italian seasoning, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another minute, stirring often to release aromas.
- Cook Ground Beef: Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until browned and fully cooked, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks.
- Add Spaghetti Sauce: Stir the spaghetti sauce into the cooked beef mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer briefly to combine flavors.
- Prepare Cheese Mixture: In a small bowl, combine the farmer cheese (or ricotta) and basil pesto until evenly mixed.
- Stuff Peppers: Spoon the meat sauce evenly into the cavities of each pepper half. Then, top each with the pesto cheese mixture, dividing it evenly.
- Add Mozzarella and Bake: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly over each stuffed pepper. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the filling is heated through and peppers are tender-crisp.
- Rest and Garnish: Let the stuffed peppers sit for about 5 minutes after baking. Garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute farmer cheese with ricotta if preferred.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper according to your taste.
- To keep it low-carb, omit any rice or breading.
- Leftover stuffed peppers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently in the oven or microwave before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
