Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Name: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6 servings.
Cuisine: Italian Dinners, Italian Recipes, Italian Vegetarian Recipes
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked brown rice; 3 small tomatoes, chopped; 1 cup frozen corn, thawed; 1 small sweet onion, chopped; 3/4 cup cubed Monterey Jack cheese; 1/3 cup chopped ripe olives; 1/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained; 1/3 cup canned red beans, rinsed and drained; 4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 6 large sweet peppers; 3/4 cup meatless spaghetti sauce; 1/2 cup water; 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

These filling and flavorful vegetarian stuffed peppers are an updated version of my mom's stuffed peppers, which were a favorite when I was growing up in upstate New York. Whenever I make them, I'm reminded of home. —Melissa McCabe, Long Beach, California

Ingredients

2 cups cooked brown rice
3 small tomatoes, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 small sweet onion, chopped
3/4 cup cubed Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup chopped ripe olives
1/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup canned red beans, rinsed and drained
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 large sweet peppers
3/4 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

Place the first 12 ingredients in a large bowl; mix lightly to combine. Cut and discard tops from sweet peppers; remove seeds. Fill peppers with rice mixture.
In a small bowl, mix spaghetti sauce and water; pour half of the mixture into an oval 5-qt. slow cooker. Add filled peppers. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
Cook, covered, on low 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until heated through and peppers are tender. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Test Kitchen Tips

In Europe, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Parmesan are considered the same cheese. But in the U.S., Parmesan is a generic term that may not come from Italy’s Parmigiano-Reggiano region. Using the authentic Italian cheese (in a lesser amount than the original’s ½ cup) ensures a cheesy richness in the makeover with less fat and calories.

A Monterey, California, businessman named David Jacks made Monterey Jack cheese popular in the late 1800s by shipping it to San Francisco and other areas of the U.S.

Check out 31 more stuffed peppers recipes.

Nutrition Facts

1 stuffed pepper: 261 calories, 8g fat (4g saturated fat), 18mg cholesterol, 815mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 7g fiber), 11g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Originally published as Veggie Stuffed Sweet Peppers in Taste of Home February/March 2008

Reviews

Click stars to rate

Average Rating:

Paul

Oct 31, 2018

Thought about stuffed peppers all summer since we haven't had them for years, except now would needed vegetarian stuffed peppers. So decided to try this recipe. Although the recipe calls out a 5-qt. cooker, purchased a 7-qt. cooker at Sears and that was a good idea! The six green peppers purchased at Safeway needed the 7-qt. cooker for space. We substituted a can of Muir Glen Organic diced tomatoes (Fire Roasted) for the tomatoes, and also sprinkled some tyme, oregano and rosemary on the peppers before cooking. These stuffed peppers tasted outstanding! Tasted even better the next day!
rwippel

Mar 26, 2017

These were excellent. I loved the filling! I added chopped zucchini as opposed to the kidney beans. The crockpot cooked the peppers perfectly! I might reduce the amount of water next time though.
Linda4325

Mar 15, 2017

Disappointing.
Lori

Jan 30, 2017

Made this recipe for the first time and it is absolutely fantabulous. Followed the recipe and it was very easy to make. I will definitely be making this again.
dstlaurent

Mar 29, 2016

baked instead. used plain tomato sauce the second time I made it. froze leftover stuffing (we are only 2)and used as a side dish another time.
robnat420

Feb 25, 2016

One of my favorite vegetarian recipes. Very delicious!
kdelegan

Aug 24, 2015

This was great. I increased the beans to a half a cup of each. I didn't have pinto beans so I substituted chickpeas and I'd do that again. For the sauce, I used a cup of vegetable broth, 3/4 cup of tomato sauce and a two tablespoons of tomato paste. I poured some of the mixture over each pepper and put the rest in the pan. I cooked for an hour on low heat on the stove.
Bevrs

Jul 23, 2015

YUK! I should have heeded the review that said it was only "edible" -- but it wasn't even that good. It took a LONG time to prepare; hubby finally gave me a hand. I will say this: the stuffing was excellent BEFORE I added the spaghetti sauce to it (following the advice of one of the reviewers), but the spaghetti sauce ruined it, conflicting with the taste of the stuffing. Last, but not least, the peppers were all wrong; both hubby and I threw them out. I would make the stuffing again if they didn't take so long to prepare, but, as hubby said, it's not worth it. This recipe got tossed out!
melgoody03

May 6, 2015

My family really likes this recipe. I usually half the stuffing and spread it between four peppers. I still have plenty left over. I tend to use a can of Italian-style diced tomatoes because it cuts down on the prep work, and adding a bit of sauce to the stuffing gives it more flavor.
Susanksue

Apr 28, 2015

We really enjoyed this and will definitely make this often, the only changes I made was I subsituted with pepper jack cheese and added 2 Tbsps of Worcester shire sauce. One note only four large peppers fit in my 6 qt slow cooker so next time I'll bake this in the oven. Easy and delicious!