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Close up view of browned ground beef crumbles and softened red and green bell peppers in an Unstuffed Pepper Skillet.

Unstuffed Pepper Skillet: The Easiest 30-Minute Cheesy Dinner

This Unstuffed Pepper Skillet features savory browned beef, tender bell peppers, and fluffy rice in a thick tomato sauce, topped with melted, scorched mozzarella cheese for the ultimate 30-minute, one-pan family meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 412
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Skillet Ingredients
  • 1 lb (450g) Ground Beef 90/10 lean
  • 1 large Red Bell Pepper Sliced into thin strips
  • 1 large Green Bell Pepper Sliced into thin strips
  • 2 cups (400g) White Rice Cooked and cooled
  • 15 oz (425g) Tomato Sauce Thick variety
  • 1.5 cups (170g) Mozzarella Cheese Shredded, low-moisture
  • 2 tbsp (8g) Fresh Parsley Chopped

Equipment

  • 1 12-inch Cast-Iron Skillet Black cast iron preferred for heat retention.
  • 1 Wooden spoon

Method
 

Cooking the Skillet
  1. Brown the ground beef in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until crumbles are fully cooked. Drain fat.
  2. Add red and green bell pepper slices and onions. Sauté until peppers are softened and slightly caramelized.
  3. Stir in the tomato sauce and cooked white rice. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until the sauce is thick and vibrant.
  4. Top with mozzarella and broil for 2 minutes until bubbly with golden-brown scorched spots. Garnish with parsley.

Notes

Use pre-cooked rice to prevent a mushy texture.
Broil on the top rack for the best scorched cheese effect.