Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole

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Instant Pot Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole is so much easier than traditional stuffed peppers, featuring all of your favorite flavors—a cheesy top, tender white rice, lean ground beef, and a savory tomato sauce!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This pressure cooker recipe is so much easier than making individual stuffed peppers, but you still get all of the delicious flavors and textures from the original dish. Even better, you can get it on your table quickly .

My sweet friend Genene helped refine her family-favorite recipe to make it quicker and easier in the pressure cooker.

Since then, it’s become one of our favorites, so we included it in our first cookbook, the Electric Pressure Cooking Cookbook (published in 2017). Over the years, we’ve kept tweaking the recipe, so we thought we’d give this post a good update with our latest cooking methods, so you can make the best green pepper casserole at home.

This is one of our most popular Instant Pot recipes with ground beef, right up there with Easy Ground Beef Tacos and American Chop Suey (Beefaroni).

If you’re looking for a traditional stuffed pepper recipe, we also have you covered with this great stuffed pepper meal!

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INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

Here’s what you need for great Instant Pot stuffed pepper casserole:

Ground beef. We like to use lean ground beef for this casserole.
Onion and garlic. For a nice flavor base.
Peppers. Use green peppers for the classic flavor.
Spinach. We like to add spinach for extra veggies and color.
Tomatoes. You’ll need a can of diced tomatoes with their juices.
Tomato sauce. Use your favorite canned or jarred smooth sauce.
Broth. Beef broth is the most classic flavor, but in a pinch, chicken will work.
Rice. Use long-grain white rice so it cooks at the same rate as the veggies and meat.
Worcestershire sauce. This adds a ton of umami to the casserole.
Cheese. We top the dish with plenty of melty mozzarella.

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How to Make Stuffed Pepper Casserole in an Instant Pot

✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

First, you’ll brown the beef. Use the Sauté setting to heat the pressure cooking pot, then add the ground beef and diced onion and break it up into small crumbles. Cook until the beef is broken up and browned, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, until it’s fragrant.

Next, add the remaining vegetables (your green peppers and spinach), along with the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, rice, Worcestershire sauce, and some salt and pepper. Now you’re ready to cook on high pressure for four minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use a quick pressure release and open the lid.

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Important Tips for Making Rice and Pepper Casserole

The first step of browning the beef is important because it helps break the beef up for even cooking. Otherwise, you may end up with a burn notice or undercooked beef after pressure cooking.
If you don’t want to use the oven at all, you can keep the casserole in the Instant Pot, cover it with cheese, and put the lid on for a few minutes to let the cheese melt. It won’t get quite as browned and crispy, however.
Be sure to carefully watch the baking dish under the broiler, as all broilers differ and it can burn quickly.
You can use a different melty cheese if you prefer, such as cheddar or Monterey jack.

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Products

Here are some helpful products to use when making this Instant Pot ground beef recipe:

OXO Good Grips Ground Meat Chopper. We love this tool for easily breaking ground meat up into crumbles. It’s also safe to use in an Instant Pot and won’t scratch the bottom.
If you want to avoid the broiler, we love using our Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid to finish the casserole right in the pressure cooking pot.
On the other hand, this Pyrex square dish is our favorite oven-safe baking dish for broiling the casserole.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole

Can I use brown rice?

The cooking time for brown rice is 22 minutes, which is too long for the peppers. Instead of cooking the rice with the meat, I’d recommend cooking the rice first, then stirring in cooked brown rice at the before adding the cheese. Then just let it sit, covered, to allow the rice to absorb the flavors.

(If I want to make the casserole ahead of time, I’ll often stir in the brown rice, cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until I’m ready to finish the dish. )

Can I use other kinds of bell peppers?

Certainly, if you’re not a fan of green peppers, you can make this recipe with red, orange, or yellow bell peppers with no changes.

How should I store leftovers?

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat the casserole in the Instant Pot, in the oven, or in the microwave.

Can I freeze leftover casserole?

Yes, you can freeze leftovers for up to six months. Note that the rice may have a slightly softer texture after it’s defrosted.

Can I use an 8-quart pressure cooker?

This recipe is designed for a 6-quart Instant Pot. If you’d like to make it in an 8-quart pot, you’ll need to add more liquid. You could start with another 1/2 cup of beef broth to avoid the burn notice.

MORE Instant Pot Casserole Recipes

Make these other crowd-pleasing casseroles next:

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole is a popular breakfast (or breakfast-for-dinner) dish with golden hashbrowns and lots of cheese.
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is a creamy, cheesy rice dish with tender chicken and a crispy Rtiz cracker topping.
Instant Pot Caprese Breakfast Casserole is an eggy dish packed with tomatoes and mozzarella.

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Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 24 minutes

This Instant Pot Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole is a tasty dinner made with ground beef, white rice, tomato sauce, and lots of mozzarella on top. And it's SO much easier to make than traditional stuffed peppers!

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 large green bell peppers, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Handful of spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes with juices
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

If using 85% lean ground beef, in a large bowl, combine beef, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Mix until well combined, then let sit for 20 minutes.(This step helps the beef release less liquid. If you're in a hurry or if your ground beef is leaner than 85%, you can skip this step.)
Select Sauté to preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add the ground beef and onion, and cook until the beef is browned and crumbled (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
Stir in the beef broth, green peppers, spinach, diced tomatoes, rice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Layer the tomato sauce on top and do not stir. Lock the lid in place, select High Pressure and 4 minutes cook time. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.

TO FINISH IN THE OVEN

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and preheat the broiler. Transfer the casserole to the baking dish and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and starting to bubble and brown.

TO FINISH WITH AN AIR FRYER LID

Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the mozzarella cheese. Set the lid temperature to 350°F and bake for 2 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned.