Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole

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You either love them or you hate them. If you love green peppers, you will love this Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole (@ 6 WW points per serving on the blue plan).

But if you don't, you likely aren't reading this post anyway. However,  if it's your kid(s) that hate them, there is hope.

Most kids don't inherently like green peppers because they are kind of bitter and really are an acquired taste. Getting kids to like or even accept particular foods takes a lot of effort; long, hard years of making them "try" things they instinctively recoil at (like onions).  According to the National Centre for Infants, Toddlers and families, children may need to be offered a new food up to as many as 10-15 times before they will eat it. That's a lot of time investment.

It took me 7 long years to get my kids to even consider eating onions, but it was worth every minute because I no longer have to listen to the whining and complaining when I cook with them. My strategy was simple - put onions in everything and make the kids pick them out. Laziness will eventually prevail; that is human nature.

I really dislike those little baby corns that come in salads, but I'll often just eat them anyway because I am lazy and it's easier than picking them out. And if  laziness doesn't prevail, then you know you have a die-hard hater on your hands and at least you can respect that. After all those years of offering green peppers, my daughter now loves them. My son doesn't feel the green pepper love yet, but at least he will grudgingly eat them. He's too lazy to pick them out.

📖 Recipe Variations

• To Make it even more WW friendly and low carb you can use Cauliflower Rice. Simply replace the rice with cauliflower rice.
• I use low-fat melted cheese in this Unstuffed Pepper Casserole, which reduces the fat and calories and makes no difference in taste.
• Use instant rice - it makes it so much faster to prepare.
• Use ground turkey to lighten it up even further and make even more WW friendly!

💭 Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezer Tips

• To Make Ahead: Simply make the entire dish in advance, cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate or freeze.
• To Store in fridge: Place leftover casserole in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To Reheat: You can reheat the casserole in a moderate oven (325- 350 degrees F/165- 175 C ) until warmed through (20-30 minutes). You can also rewarm this casserole in the microwave until warmed through (this what I usually do.)
• To Freeze: Store leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. *I do not recommend freezing it if you are using cauliflower rice, as it does not freeze well.

I used to spend an inordinate amount of time individually stuffing green peppers when I could have been chopping them up and throwing them in a casserole - what was I thinking?! So, if you are in the market for an easy, delicious and healthy casserole that's also Weight Watchers friendly that can be made ahead and frozen for a quick weeknight meal, then you should try this casserole. It's so good that it can even turn a hardcore hater into a green pepper fan!

Do you love my cheerful orange casserole dish in the photos?

It's actually a DUTCH OVEN. In fact, it's my very first dutch oven! Now I'm wondering where it's been all my life only wishing I had bought one years ago. I love that dutch ovens brown food on the sides when you are cooking on the stove top and then go straight to the oven. They are made of cast iron, then coated, so they also retain heat really well. They are heavy and last forever. BUT if you buy a color coated one (and why wouldn't you?!) just make sure you are very careful with it - the color can chip off pretty easily. You can learn more about the joys of dutch ovens HERE!

If you are looking for a dutch oven, here are my Amazon recommendations (affiliate links)

You may also like this Weight Watchers Casserole:

 Healthy Turkey Shepherd's Pie

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5 from 1 vote

📋 Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole Recipe

This simple and delicious healthy and gluten-free Stuffed green pepper casserole, made with instant rice and lean ground beef is smothered in gooey melted cheese (low-fat), is easy to make and requires no stuffing! It can be made ahead and frozen for a quick weeknight meal. 6 WW points per serving on the blue plan.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine North American

Keyword casserole, green pepper casserole, stuffed peppers

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 226kcal

Author Adapted from:"Five Minutes for Mommy's" Cheesy Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole (which I found at Mostly Homemade Mom)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked instant brown rice * I use Minute Rice
• 1 -lb extra lean ground beef
• 3-4 large green peppers , diced
• ½ cup diced onion
• 1 -29 oz can diced tomatoes , drained
• 1 -14 oz can corn , drained
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 -10 oz can mushrooms
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• 2 cups low-fat shredded cheddar sharp cheese *

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Brown ground beef and onion in a large stock pot or dutch oven, then drain. You could also use a frying pan.
• Boil chopped green peppers in water until soft (10-15 minutes). Drain. You could also cook them for about 5 minutes in the microwave. Cook rice in separate pot. * I use brown minute rice to make it quicker
• Mix cooked rice, green pepper, ground beef and remaining ingredients (except cheese) together in stock pot, dutch oven or oven safe casserole dish.
•  Top with shredded cheese.Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Then turn it up to 500 degrees F and broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese is lightly brown and bubbly. Serve hot.

Notes

📖 Recipe Variations

• To Make it even more WW friendly and low carb you can use Cauliflower Rice. Simply replace the rice with cauliflower rice
• I use low-fat melted cheese in this Unstuffed Pepper Casserole, which reduces the fat and calories and makes no difference in taste.
• Use instant rice - it make this recipe so much faster to prepare.
• Use ground turkey to lighten it up even further and make even more WW friendly!

💭 Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezer Tips

• To Make Ahea: Simply make the entire dish in advance, cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate or freeze.
• To Store in fridge: Place leftover casserole in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To Reheat: You can reheat the casserole in a moderate oven (325- 350 degrees F/165- 175 C ) until warmed through (20-30 minutes). You can also rewarm this casserole in the microwave until warmed through (this what I usually do.)
• To Freeze: Store leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. *I do not recommend freezing it if you are using cauliflower rice, as it does not freeze well.

So, if you are in the market for a delicious and healthy casserole that's also Weight Watchers friendly that can be made ahead and frozen for a quick weeknight meal, then you should try this casserole. It's so good that it can even turn a hardcore hater into a green pepper fan!

 

Nutrition Facts

📋 Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 226 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 32mg11%

Sodium 388mg17%

Potassium 383mg11%

Carbohydrates 27g9%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin A 300IU6%

Vitamin C 30.3mg37%

Calcium 115mg12%

Iron 1.8mg10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 30.3mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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🥘 More Weight Watchers Recipes!

This recipe is part of the Country Cook's Weekend Potluck!