Pizza Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef

These healthy Italian Pizza Stuffed Peppers are made with ground beef, mushrooms, spinach, green olives, cheese, and baked with pizza sauce!

These Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers are full of all your favorite pizza toppings like mushrooms and onions. They're baked in pizza sauce and then finished with green olives and a cheesy topping.

It's time once again for one of my all-time favorite meals - Stuffed Peppers. Every summer we plant a BUNCH of bell peppers in the garden with the sole purpose of stuffing them with tasty fillings.

You can stuff peppers with just about anything - Bell peppers are super versatile. They're usually stuffed with some combination of ground meat, rice, or beans. I love to bake them in the oven with some sort of sauce so that they stay moist and then top them with cheese.

The route I took this year is of the pizza variety.

These stuffed peppers make a great low carb weeknight dinner. It's everything that's delicious about pizza without the actual crust. That's a good thing for those of us who can't eat gluten and/or are trying to cut back on carbs.

One thing this meal does not skimp on, however, is flavor!

Jump to:

• Ingredients For Pizza Stuffed Peppers
• How To Make Stuffed Peppers
• Does The Meat Need To Be Cooked Before Stuffing Peppers?
• Do You Have To Boil Peppers Before Stuffing?
• How Long To Cook Stuffed Peppers
• What Goes With Stuffed Peppers?
• Can I Change Any Of The Toppings?
• Can Stuffed Peppers Be Frozen?
• How Long Do Stuffed Peppers Last In The Fridge?
• Pizza Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef

Ingredients For Pizza Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers are an easy meal to whip up but do require a bit of chopping up front.

Once everything is chopped, sautéed in a skillet, and the peppers are stuffed you can throw the pan in the oven and let it do the work.

Here's what you'll need to make them.

• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 Onion
• 1 8 oz. package Mushrooms
• 2 packed cups Spinach
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (split)
• 3 Bell Peppers (any color)
• ½ tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper (split)
• 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• ¼ cup Tomato Paste
• 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef (or turkey)
• 1 14 oz. can Pizza Sauce
• ½ cup Green Manzanilla Olives (or olives of choice)
• 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese (or cheese of choice)
• ¼ cup Fresh Basil for garnish (optional)

How To Make Stuffed Peppers

The first step is to chop all of the ingredients that go into the filling.

1. Mince 6 cloves of garlic and 1 onion (any color).
2. Chop 1 8 oz. package of button mushrooms (or any kind of mushrooms you like) into small pieces. (I recommend keeping the pieces fairly small to ensure that they fit inside the peppers).
3. Roughly chop 2 packed cups of fresh spinach (you can substitute kale, Swiss chard, or any leafy green you like).

Does The Meat Need To Be Cooked Before Stuffing Peppers?

Stuffed peppers are baked in the oven but the filling must be cooked first. This is especially true with meat like ground beef or turkey.

I like to prepare the filling in the recommended sequence so that it is flavorful and does not become watery as the peppers bake in the oven.

1. Start by heating a skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet.
2. Add the mushrooms along with ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring often for 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms have cooked down. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and set aside.
3. Place the skillet back on the stove top and add another Tbsp. of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and onions to the skillet. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
4. Place 1 lb. of lean ground beef (may sub ground turkey or any kind of meat you like) in the skillet and sauté for 8-10 minutes or until the meat is browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
5. Add another ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper along with 2 tsp. Italian seasoning. Stir until combined.
6. Add ¼ cup tomato paste and stir into the beef until combined.
7. Add 2 packed cups spinach along with the cooked mushrooms to the skillet. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the spinach has cooked down.

Do You Have To Boil Peppers Before Stuffing?

Once the filling is cooked it's time to stuff the peppers.

It is not necessary to boil the peppers before stuffing them. They do soften up as they bake - It's important that they soften but do not become mushy.

I like to cut the peppers in half and lay them in a baking sheet to cook.

1. Simply cut 3 bell peppers (any color) in half and remove the stems, seeds, and membranes.
2. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Pour 1 14 oz. jar of pizza sauce (or if you're feeling ambitious you can whip up a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce) into a 9x13 inch baking dish or cake pan.
4. Arrange the peppers along the bottom of the pan in the pizza sauce.
5. Spoon a generous amount of the filling into each pepper half (they will probably be overflowing).
6. Cover the pan with tinfoil and place in the oven to cook for 45 minutes.

How Long To Cook Stuffed Peppers

The peppers are cooked for 45 minutes with tinfoil at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (I tested the recipe at 350 and 375 and found 375 to be the optimal temperature).

1. After 45 minutes take the peppers out of the oven and remove the tinfoil.
2. Top the stuffed peppers with ⅓ cup sliced green olives (or olives of choice) and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
3. Place the pan back in the oven (without the tinfoil) and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
4. Remove the pan from the oven.

What Goes With Stuffed Peppers?

The peppers are done when they have softened and the cheese is nice and melty.

I love to serve them with some fresh minced basil or herb of choice to help brighten up the flavors.

Can I Change Any Of The Toppings?

• You can customize these Pizza Stuffed Peppers a bit to your liking.
• They may be topped with any variety of olives or cheese you like.
• Pepperoni or Canadian bacon may be added with the cheese for extra flavor.

Stuffed peppers are pretty filling on their own but would be great served with any bright and tangy side salad like a Caesar or Greek salad, or some roasted vegetables.

This dish is perfect to serve alongside anything you would normally serve with pizza.

Can Stuffed Peppers Be Frozen?

Stuffed Peppers make a great freezer meal!

How To Freeze

1. Prepare the recipe as written leaving off the pizza sauce, olives, and cheese.
2. Once the peppers are baked allow them to cool completely before freezing.
3. Make sure to store the peppers in a freezer-safe casserole dish and cover with plastic wrap or freezer wrap and a cover.
4. Label with the date and store up to three months in the freezer.

How To Reheat

1. Remove the peppers from the freezer and pour the pizza sauce in the bottom of the pan.
2. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until heated through.
3. Add the cheese and sliced olives at the end of the cooking time until melted.

Love pizza? Check out these recipes!

• Mushroom and Arugula Pizza
• Mediterranean Veggie Flatbread Pizza
• BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Farmers Market Pizza
• Arugula Pesto, Prosciutto, and Tomato Pizza
• Pesto Chicken Flatbread

How Long Do Stuffed Peppers Last In The Fridge?

These peppers last 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Make sure to cool the peppers completely before transferring to the refrigerator for storage.

They may be reheated in the oven or the microwave.

Love stuffed peppers? Check out these recipes!

• Orzo Stuffed Peppers
• Turkey and Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• Southwest Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

Looking for more ground beef recipes? Here are some of my favorites!

• Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
• Tater Tot Hotdish
• Cheesy Beef Bean Enchiladas
• Slow Cooker Ground Beef Chili
• Grilled Blue Cheese Burgers
• Cabbage Roll Bowls

Looking For More Stuffed Pepper Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers

Italian Stuffed Peppers

Instant Pot Cypriot Stuffed Peppers

Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans, Quinoa and Corn