Italian Stuffed Peppers with Meat Sauce
This fresh, flavorful take on classic Italian Stuffed Peppers is easy to throw together for an extra hearty, filling meal during the week. With savory meat sauce and creamy cottage cheese, this protein packed meal is simple and family-approved.
What’s to Love About This Italian Stuffed Peppers Recipe
- One-pan comfort: Baked in a single dish for easy cleanup
- Balanced & family-friendly: Veggies, protein, cheese—all in one
- Versatile: Great for meal prep, weeknight dinners, or holiday gatherings
- Simple prep: Uses pantry staples and requires minimal hands-on time
Ingredients Needed
- Bell peppers – any color, but I prefer red and yellow bell peppers as they are the sweetest
- Meat sauce – add 1lb of cooked ground beef to my homemade marinara, or pick up a jar of store-bought sauce like this one)
- Cottage cheese
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning
- Salt – I use coarse salt for cooking
- Mozzarella cheese– buy a block and shred your own for the best taste and melt
How to Make Italian Stuffed Peppers
Preheat – preheat oven to 350°F
Prepare the Peppers – Wash 3 bell peppers and slice in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes.
Pre-Cook Peppers – Place peppers in a 9×13 baking dish and pour 2 cups of water along the edges of pan. Microwave on high for 5 minuets to soften peppers.
Warm Sauce – While peppers soften, warm 2 cups of meat sauce in a in a sauce pan on the stove over medium- high heat.
Make Cottage Cheese Filling – In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 T Italian seasoning and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until well mixed.
Stuff Peppers– Using hot pads, remove dish of peppers from microwave. Line paper towels on your counter, remove peppers from water bath and let them dry on towel. Pour out water from baking pan and dry it. Scoop 1/2 cup of the meat sauce onto the bottom of the pan and spread evenly before transferring the softened peppers back into the pan.
Fill each pepper equally with a scoop of the cottage cheese mixture followed by a scoop of the meat sauce.
Top Peppers and Bake – Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the peppers. Cover with tin foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 mins until cheese is bubbly and peppers are tender.
Leftover Storage, Freezing & Reheating
Fridge:
Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days, in an airtight container to keep peppers fresh.
Freezer:
Place baked peppers in freezer-safe container. Store up to 3 months. Thaw on counter before reheating.
Reheat instructions:
- Oven: Reheat at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until warmed through and cheese is melted.
- Microwave: Place peppers on a microwave safe plate and cover with a paper towel. Heat for 45-60 seconds. Check, and if not quite heated through, continue heating in 30 second increments.
What to Serve with Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Garlic bread or cheesy breadsticks
- Side salads or Caesar salads
- Roasted veggies
- Fresh green beans
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Pasta with marinara sauce
Italian Stuffed Peppers with Meat Sauce
Equipment
- baking dish
- sauce pan
- tin foil
Ingredients
- 3 bell peppers Any color, but I prefer red and yellow bell peppers as they are the sweetest
- 2 cups meat sauce Add 1lb of cooked ground beef to my homemade marinara, or pick up a jar of store-bought sauce like this one)
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 T Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt I use coarse salt for cooking
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese Buy a block and shred your own for the best taste and melt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash 3 large bell peppers and slice in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes. Place peppers in a 9×13 baking dish and pour 2 cups of water along the edges of pan. Microwave on high for 5 mins to soften peppers.
- While peppers soften, warm 2 cups of meat sauce in a in a sauce pan on the stove over medium- high heat.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 T Italian seasoning and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until well mixed.
- Using hot pads, remove dish of peppers from microwave. Line paper towels on your counter, remove peppers from water bath and let them dry on towel. Pour out water from baking pan and dry it. Scoop 1/2 cup of the meat sauce onto the bottom of the pan and spread evenly before transferring the softened peppers back into the pan. Fill each pepper equally with a scoop of the cottage cheese mixture followed by a scoop of the meat sauce.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the peppers. Cover with tin foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 mins until cheese is bubbly and peppers are tender.
Notes
- Garlic bread or cheesy breadsticks
- Side salads or Caesar salads
- Roasted veggies
- Fresh green beans
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Pasta with marinara sauce
Nutrition
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