Here’s a Cheesy Baked Pepper & Beef Skillet—a hearty, melty, one-pan comfort dish loaded with ground beef, bell peppers, and gooey cheese. Perfect for weeknights! 🧀🥩🫑
🧀 Cheesy Baked Pepper & Beef Skillet
Ingredients (serves 4–6)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil (if needed)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2–3 bell peppers, sliced (mix of red/green/yellow)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (drained)
- 1 cup marinara or tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional but adds depth)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 ½–2 cups shredded mozzarella (or cheddar, or a mix)
- Optional: ½ cup cooked rice or cauliflower rice for a heartier bake
- Optional topping: fresh parsley or basil
Instructions
1. Preheat oven
Preheat to 375°F (190°C).
2. Brown the beef
Heat a large oven-safe skillet (cast iron preferred).
Cook ground beef until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
3. Cook veggies
Add onion and bell peppers to the skillet. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
4. Add sauces & seasoning
Stir in:
- diced tomatoes
- marinara/tomato sauce
- Worcestershire
- Italian seasoning
- paprika
- salt & pepper
Simmer 5 minutes.
(If adding rice/cauliflower rice, stir it in now.)
5. Add cheese
Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the top.
6. Bake
Bake 10–15 minutes, until cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden.
7. Serve
Top with fresh parsley or basil. Serve as-is, over rice, pasta, or with garlic bread.
🍽️ Tips & Variations
- Low-carb: Use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.
- Spicy version: Add jalapeños or ½–1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes.
- Mexican-style: Swap Italian seasoning for taco seasoning + use pepper jack cheese.
- Creamy version: Add 4 oz cream cheese to the beef mixture before baking.
- Stretch it: Add a can of drained black beans or corn.
If you want, I can turn this into a casserole, a stuffed peppers recipe, or a 30-minute stovetop-only version!
