This easy Unstuffed Pepper Casserole takes all of the ingredients and flavors you'd find in classic Italian-style stuffed bell peppers and turns them into a delicious, fuss-free deconstructed oven-baked casserole that's sure to become a dinner favorite!
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Friends, if you love stuffed peppers but don't care about the fancy presentation, this recipe is a must-try. Because the truth is: the first thing you're going to do when you're served a stuffed pepper is unstuff it.
You're going to cut it up and mix everything together. So it's only going to look pretty sitting there on your plate for a few seconds, tops, before you dig in.
In the end, it's really just all about those awesome flavors, right? Well, this casserole has them all: Italian sausage, peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, rice, seasonings. And it's topped with melty mozzarella cheese!
I've made traditional stuffed peppers for a long time. But I recently had quite a few green peppers to use up from the garden, and I decided to turn that recipe into this casserole just to see if we would like it. We loved it even more than the real-deal stuffed peppers!
It only takes about 20 minutes to put together, then the oven does the rest of the work (so you can go do something else...or just relax).
So, unless I'm having guests and want the presentation factor, this unstuffed pepper casserole is what I'll be making instead from now on...and often. It's a great way to take one pound of Italian sausage and stretch it out to make 6 satisfying servings.
Give it a try, and I bet it'll end up in your dinner rotation too.
Ingredients You Need
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil (regular or light)
- Bulk Italian sausage (mild/sweet, hot or a combination; I use sweet; if you can only get Italian sausage links, just remove the meat from the casings before cooking)
- Bell peppers (any color; seeded and chopped)
- Onions (peeled and chopped)
- Garlic (minced)
- Tomato sauce (canned)
- Diced tomatoes (canned; with their juice)
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic powder
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- White rice (any long-grain white rice will work; I like to use basmati)
- Chicken broth or stock (I use a roasted chicken base mixed with water)
- Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- Chopped fresh parsley (for garnish; optional)
How to Make Unstuffed Pepper Casserole
Note: This is just a brief overview of the steps. For the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Cook the sausage in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking it up as you go, until it is lightly browned and no longer pink.
Add the chopped bell peppers and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, just until they start to soften.
Add the garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for one minute.
Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, rice, and chicken broth; stir until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13x2-inch baking dish.
Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover the dish tightly with foil; bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Uncover and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. End enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- The sausage doesn't have to be fully cooked through in the skillet, as it will continue/finish cooking in the oven. You just want a nice lightly golden brown color in spots and no more pink on the outside of the pieces.
- Only cook the bell peppers and onions in the skillet with the sausage for a few quick minutes, just until they start to soften. They will continue cooking and will become much softer while in the oven.
- Although it's not necessary, if desired, you can rinse the rice in cold water to remove some of the excess starch before adding. Doing this would help the rice cook up more fluffy and less sticky.
- I don't rinse the rice when I use basmati rice, which always seems to cook up nice and fluffy even without rinsing. But I do like to rinse it when using regular long-grain white rice.
- Be sure to test the rice at the end of the cooking time to make sure it is tender. No one wants cruncy rice!
Substitutions & Variations
- Ground beef, a mixture of ground beef and pork (meatloaf mix), ground turkey or even ground chicken could be used instead of Italian sausage. This will change the flavor just a bit because the sausage has its own seasonings, while the others do not.
- Beef or vegetable broth/stock could be used instead of chicken broth.
- Italian seasoning could be used instead of basil and oregano.
- An Italian cheese blend, a mixture of mozzarella and parmesan, a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella, or even just cheddar cheese could be used instead of mozzarella.
- Try making a meatless version by swapping out the sausage for beans, such as black beans, pinto beans or white beans.
Leftover Storage, Reheating & Freezing
- Store leftovers, once cooled, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Leftovers reheat well and are really delicious, so you could even make this ahead of time!
- To reheat leftovers, put the desired amount of leftover casserole in a baking dish and add a splash or two of water to the dish to keep the casserole from drying out. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 325°F oven until heated through.
- Or you can reheat single servings in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl or dish until heated through.
- To freeze leftovers, once cooled, place them in an airtight freezer container (I also like to cover the top of the casserole with plastic wrap before putting the lid on) and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. You can do individual servings or a larger quantity.
- Thaw completely in the refrigerator and then reheat as directed above.
Serving Suggestions
Even though this casserole already has meat, veggies and starch all in one dish, I like to serve it with a green salad (like my Italian Tossed Salad) and either dinner rolls or garlic bread to round it out. You could even serve an extra veggie on the side.
If you love stuffed pepper, also check out my Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers and Slow Cooker Mexican Stuffed Peppers. And for another excellent "unstuffed" recipe, try my Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet.
I hope you try this Unstuffed Pepper Casserole recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Easy Casserole Recipes to Try
If you try this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Unstuffed Pepper Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little extra for greasing the baking dish (I use regular or light olive oil)
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, mild/sweet or hot (or a combination); I use mild/sweet
- 3 cups chopped bell peppers, any color; about ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups chopped onions, about ½-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, with their juice
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste (I use kosher salt; if using regular table salt, you may want to use less)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice, uncooked (I like to use basmati rice); see Note below
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock, I use a roasted chicken base mixed with water
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Grease a 9x13x2-inch baking dish with a small amount of olive oil or spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat (I use a 12-inch skillet). Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it up as you go, until it is lightly browned in spots and no longer pink on the outside of the pieces, about 3 to 4 minutes. If needed, drain off any excess grease (I would say any more than a tablespoon).The sausage doesn't need to be fully cooked through at this point, as it will continue/finish cooking while in the oven.
- Add the peppers and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just starting to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes.You don't want them too soft at this point, as they will soften a lot more while in the oven.
- Add the garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with their juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, rice, and chicken broth; stir until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Uncover and let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- If desired, sprinkle the entire casserole or the individual servings with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Although it's not necessary, if desired, you can rinse the rice in cold water to remove some of the excess starch before adding. Doing this would help the rice cook up more fluffy and less sticky.
- I don't rinse the rice when I use basmati rice, which always seems to cook up nice and fluffy even without rinsing. But I do like to rinse it when using regular long-grain white rice.
- Please refer to the post for additional information and tips, step-by-step photos, substitutions and variations, information on storing leftovers, reheating and freezing, and serving suggestions.
Kris says
Can’t wait to try the recipes you have.
Michelle says
Thanks, Kris! I'm excited for you to try some of them. Let me know how it goes!
Kris says
You don’t mention when the cheese gets added in with everything. I presume it’s on top?
Michelle says
Hey, Kris...thanks for catching that! Yes, you put it on top. I have updated the recipe card.
Susan says
I just made this, following your recipe. Changing only the Italian sausage to hamburger.
It is a hit! All the flavors just pop! Thank you!!
Michelle says
Thank you, Susan...so happy you enjoyed it, and I appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!