You just can’t beat a healthy meal of stuffed peppers, especially when they are filled with classic Greek flavors! 226 calories and 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Both my husband and I grew up eating stuffed peppers – his mum’s a classic green pepper version and my mum’s a version with sautéed mushrooms and mushroom gravy (magical words for this mushroom lover). And now these Greek Stuffed Peppers have become one of our boys’ favorite meals. They’re fantastic for weeknight dinners and reheat well for lunches the next day.
Having some sort of stuffed pepper in the recipe box should be a “must” for any home cook. They’re easy, healthy (assuming you don’t top them with an Everest-sized mound-o-cheese) and always a crowd pleaser. After taking a few bites of these Greek Stuffed Peppers when I first made them, my then-11-year old son said, “You HAVE to make these at least once a week.” Definitely high praise!
Whenever I’ve eaten stuffed peppers in the past, I’ve never been able to finish an entire pepper, particularly if served alongside a green salad. So, I took an idea straight from the The Skinnytaste Cookbook
(if you don’t have it in your personal library yet, you need to change that! This is an affiliate link.) and cut the peppers in half lengthwise. Less pepper, less stuffing, less need for elasticized pants after eating.
While I typically use ground turkey for this sort of recipe, I was feeling the need for a dose of iron, so opted for extra-lean ground beef. However, if ground beef really isn’t your thing, then feel free to substitute an equal amount of ground turkey. My husband isn’t an olive fan, so I just left out the kalamatas from his serving. Just remember that they add a dose of salt, so be sure to season with a dash of extra salt if your taste buds notice the omission of the olives.
To make ahead, cook the ground beef mixture and prepare the peppers in the morning, then just stuff and cook before serving.
Other easy, healthy dinner recipes:
Cookin’ Canuck’s One-Pot Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken & Spinach
Cookin’ Canuck’s Roasted Curry Shrimp & Zucchini Sheet Pan Meal
Aggie’s Kitchen’s Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Pork Tostadas
Mountain Mama Cooks’ Thai Crunch Salad
The Novice Chef’s Caprese Chicken
Greek Stuffed Peppers with Feta Cheese Recipe
You just can't beat a healthy meal of stuffed peppers, especially when they're filled with classic Greek flavors! 226 calories and 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb. extra-lean ground beef
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp ground oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 3 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
- 3 red bell peppers, cut half lengthwise, seeds & membranes removed
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, salt and pepper, and cook until the ground beef is browned, crumbling with a wooden spoon.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the olive oil. Stir in the onions and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and brown rice, and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the kalamata olives and parsley.
- Place the peppers, cut side up, in a large baking dish. Divide the ground beef mixture evenly between the peppers. Pour ½ cup water in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Cover tightly with foil and cook until the peppers are tender, about 35 minutes.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of feta cheese over each pepper. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve.
Recipe Notes
This post was originally published on October 14, 2015, and has been updated.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Becki says
Oct 14, 2015 at 5:29 amLove this variation on stuffed peppers. I’m a huge fan of anything Greek so this sounds great to me. Your moms mushroom stuffed peppers sounds yummy, too.
Chandra@The Plaid & Paisley Kitchen says
Oct 14, 2015 at 7:30 amOh I Love the greek flavors that you used in this! Stuffed peppers are my hubby’s favorite!!!
Lora @cakeduchess says
Oct 14, 2015 at 8:19 amStuffed peppers bring back so many childhood family party memories. This Greek version you did look fantastic, Dara!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Oct 14, 2015 at 8:46 amThese are gorgeous! And I just imagine the wonderful aroma filling the kitchen as they’re baking, yummy!
Justine | Cooking and Beer says
Oct 14, 2015 at 4:15 pmI have a sweet spot for stuffed peppers! I love all of the deliciousness you have going on in this recipe! Beautiful!
Happy Valley Chow says
Oct 14, 2015 at 7:04 pmI absolutely love stuffed peppers and recipe sounds phenomenal. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Cathy says
Oct 15, 2015 at 7:33 amWe don’t eat enough stuffed peppers either and we love them! These look awesome!!
Nutmeg Nanny says
Oct 15, 2015 at 9:00 amI love stuffed peppers but I almost never make them. I’m nto really sure why since they are so freaking delicious! Love this greek twist 🙂
Jo Lynn says
Nov 11, 2015 at 1:36 pmMy husband and I really enjoyed these peppers. The flavors were excellent–I can’t think of anything that would make them better. Amazingly, when I took them out of the oven, they looked just like the picture! (That never happens.)
Valerie L Casano says
Apr 30, 2017 at 11:26 amLove these and make them all the time. Would like to know how long to cook them in slow cooker after step 6. Filling would be fully cooked . Thank you!
Susan says
Sep 17, 2017 at 3:54 pmI made these today and they are exceptionally good! Nice update to an old classic. The Mediterranean flavors work so well with the red/yellow peppers. The feta cheese and olives really add so much.
I’ll make these again. Thanks for the recipe!
Dara says
Sep 26, 2017 at 2:29 pmThat’s great to hear, Susan! I just made another batch for my family last night – always popular here.
Maureen says
Sep 11, 2018 at 2:26 pmHi Dara, I have always made mine similar, wit ground beef , rice, onions and garlic, and sometimes corn if I had leftover corn on the cob. I then topped with Campbell’s tomato soup and sprinkled cheddar cheese on top for last few minutes. Since I strive to eat healthy and can tomatoes and we love Greek anything I am anxious to try your variation. My mouth is watering already!! Maureen the Budget Queen
Stephanie says
Oct 10, 2018 at 12:20 pmI made these for the first time last night and they were delicious. They’re a really nice change from regular stuffed peppers.
Dara says
Oct 10, 2018 at 12:38 pmThat’s great to hear, Stephanie! We’re making a batch here for dinner tonight. 🙂