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This single serving stuffed peppers recipe features tender bell pepper halves filled with a savory mix of ground beef, spinach, tomatoes, cheese, and seasonings. Baked for just 30 minutes, this easy and flavorful dish is perfect for a satisfying meal for one.
Pair these stuffed pepper halves with a crisp Caesar Salad, Buttered Noodles, crusty French Bread, or a comforting bowl of Creamy Vegetable or Tomato Soup for a well-rounded and satisfying meal.
Enjoy this recipe? Explore our collection of main dish recipes, all perfectly portioned for one or two people.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for One: No waste, no extras—just the right amount for a single serving.
- Quick and Easy: Made with simple ingredients and clear instructions.
- Customizable: Swap ingredients to suit your taste or dietary needs.
- Wholesome and Balanced: A complete meal with protein and vegetables.
- Tried and Tested: A scaled-down version of the stuffed peppers I’ve made for years for my family.
- Easily Scaled: Double or triple the recipe for more servings.
Stuffed pepper halves are bell peppers filled with a flavorful mixture of ground beef, spinach, tomatoes, cheese, and seasonings, then baked until tender. Our single serving version, made with just one bell pepper, is perfectly portioned and ready in 30 minutes, making it an easy and satisfying meal for one.
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Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy stuffed bell peppers recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Bell pepper: Use any color – red, yellow, orange, or green – as each offers a unique flavor, with red being the sweetest. Choose peppers that are bright, shiny, and firm, avoiding any with soft spots, moldy stems, or wrinkled skin. Extra bell peppers are great in Lo Mein, Philly Cheesesteak, and Pepper Steak.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil for its rich flavor and quality. If you prefer, lighter olive oil works as well.
- Onions and garlic: These add essential flavor to the filling, so don’t skip them.
- Ground beef: A hearty, protein-packed filling option. Substitute with crumbled tofu, lentils, or a plant-based alternative for a vegetarian version. You can also try ground turkey, chicken, or pork for variety. Use leftover ground beef in Sheet Pan Lasagna, Cottage Pie, Spaghetti and Meatballs, or a Taco Salad.
- Spices and seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper enhance the flavor of the filling. You can use a store-bought blend or mix dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach adds color and nutrition. If using frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out excess water. Swap with kale, Swiss chard, or collard greens if preferred. Leftover spinach can be used in Tuscan Chicken, a Breakfast Sandwich, or Tortellini Soup.
- Tomato: Adds tanginess and juiciness to the filling. Use one small tomato, canned diced tomatoes, or a spoonful of tomato sauce.
- Cheese: Melts beautifully and adds creaminess. Cheddar is my go-to, but any favorite cheese works. For a dairy-free option, try vegan cheese or omit entirely. Extra cheese can be used in Crack Chicken, Potato Soup, and Mac and Cheese.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetarian: Swap ground beef for plant-based meat, lentils, or crumbled tofu.
- Spicy: Add diced jalapeños or red pepper flakes for extra heat.
- Mediterranean: Use Greek seasoning, ground lamb for beef, and top with crumbled feta.
- Lighter Option: Use lean ground turkey or chicken and reduced-fat cheese.
- Chicken: Replace beef with shredded cooked chicken.
- Seafood: Try cooked cod, trout, or salmon as the filling.
How To Make Stuffed Bell Peppers
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make this single stuffed pepper recipe. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Heat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Prep the Pepper
- Trim the Pepper: Cut 1/4-inch from the stem end of the bell pepper to remove the top.
- Clean the Inside: Remove the seeds and membrane, then rinse the inside of the pepper.
- Slice the Pepper: Slice the pepper in half lengthwise.
Blanch the Pepper
- Prepare the Water: Fill a 2-quart pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the pepper halves and blanch them for 3 minutes.
- Remove the Peppers: Use tongs or a fork to carefully lift the pepper halves out of the hot water. Place them on a clean kitchen towel to cool slightly.
- Season and Drain: Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of salt inside each pepper half. Flip the peppers over on the towel to allow any excess water to drain.
Prepare the Filling and Bake the Pepper
- Cook the Vegetables: Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally.
- Brown the Meat: Add the ground beef, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add Tomatoes and Spinach: Stir in the chopped tomatoes and spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes until the spinach is wilted.
- Add Cheese: Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the cheese.
- Fill the Peppers: Spoon the meat mixture into the prepared pepper halves.
- Arrange in Baking Dish: Place the filled peppers in a lightly greased 5×7-inch baking dish.
- Top and Bake: Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the peppers, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 15 minutes.
Pro Tip: If the cheese hasn’t fully melted after baking, remove the foil and return the dish to the oven for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
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Expert Tips
- Meat Options: Use ground turkey, pork, beef, or a plant-based alternative.
- Extra Filling: If you have leftover filling, spoon it over the tops of the peppers before baking.
- Taste and Adjust: Before filling the peppers, taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning as needed to ensure a balanced flavor.
- Get Creative: Experiment with different combinations of meats, rice, and vegetables, but ensure the filling isn’t too dry or too wet for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare the filling and assemble the peppers up to 24 hours ahead. Store them covered in the refrigerator and bake when ready.
Absolutely. If you’d like to make stuffed bell peppers for two people, double the ingredients in this recipe.
If you have leftovers, let the stuffed peppers cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes or until warmed through, or microwave in 30-second intervals until heated.
Yes, stuffed peppers freeze well. Assemble them without the cheese topping, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
A 5×7-inch baking dish works perfectly for this single serving recipe.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: 15 Easy Single Serving Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried these stuffed bell peppers or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Stuffed Peppers For One
Ingredients
- 1 bell pepper (use green, red, yellow, or orange)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- 5 ounces lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 small tomato -chopped
- ½ cup chopped fresh spinach
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Trim the Pepper: Cut ¼ inch off the stem end of the bell pepper to remove the top. Remove the seeds and membrane, rinse the inside, and slice the pepper in half lengthwise.
- Blanch the Pepper: Fill a 2-quart pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Submerge the pepper halves in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Carefully remove them with tongs and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon of salt inside each half and invert them on the towel to drain.
- Cook the Vegetables: Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, stirring occasionally.
- Brown the Meat: Add the ground beef, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add Tomatoes and Spinach: Stir in the chopped tomatoes and spinach. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts.
- Add Cheese: Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the cheese.
- Fill the Peppers: Spoon the meat mixture into the prepared pepper halves. Place the filled peppers in a lightly greased 5×7 inch baking dish.
- Top and Bake: Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the peppers. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Melt the Cheese (if needed): If the cheese hasn’t fully melted, remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve: Enjoy the stuffed peppers warm.
Notes
- Meat Options: Use ground turkey, pork, beef, or a plant-based alternative.
- Extra Filling: If you have leftover filling, spoon it over the tops of the peppers before baking.
- Taste and Adjust: Before filling the peppers, taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning as needed to ensure a balanced flavor.
- Get Creative: Experiment with different combinations of meats, rice, and vegetables, but ensure the filling isn’t too dry or too wet for the best results.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I’ve made stuffed peppers many times before and they were just good, this recipe was delicious.
Easy to make, quick and delicious! Bonus: It makes two meals for me. Thank you for a great recipe.
I love this recipe. I have made it using 1/2 Italian sausage and 1/2 ground round. I do not pre-cook the peppers, and I do not pre-cooked the meat. I do sauté the onion and the garlic and the tomato, also add a few red pepper flakes.I think by baking the raw peppers and the uncooked meat that you get much more flavor and it is not as dry. Also use Parmesan cheese on top instead of the cheddar.
Simple but so delicious. I enjoyed it twice in a week.
This was tasty! My daughter and I each had a half of a stuffed pepper and found it to be delicious and satisfying. Very simple to make.
I did not have spinach on hand so I substituted with chopped mushrooms (yum).
Thank you for creating and sharing such a wonderful recipe. This one will be on rotation.
Haven’t tried this yet but going to tonight. Looks really good. I can smell it cooking right now and it smells wonderful. Enjoying your one person recipes so much!! Thanks.
I’ve never been a fan of stuffed peppers, but I tried this recipe using sweet mini peppers with your filling mixture. It was delightful. I’ve always cooked for a large family, but now it’s just me. Your website has been a Godsend. Thank you!
Just had to say thank you for such an awesome dish as your “Stuffed Peppers!” Truly a blessing to and loved the fact that I could make them just for “one”. As a retired single, I have worked at cutting down (halves, thirds, quarters) of so many recipes and I still somehow end up eating most of them for 2 to 4 days after, because of the amounts left over. Tried this and was so pleased, not only with the amount (I had the second half pepper the following day and it was just as good the second day as the first), having never tried making a pepper with spinach, I was really looking forward to the addition and I must admit, one bite and I was hooked. I used an herb feta cheese both in the pepper and as a sprinkle on top….truly awesome. Thank you so much and please know that I am now a very hooked fan of “One Dish Kitchen” recipes…they’re really great and I’ll be trying a good number of them.
A suggestion, I cut my peppers first length then gently pull them apart. I remove the stem then. This does 2 things, first you und up with more of a bowl shape at Both Ends and second you use almost all of the pepper. The only thing discarded is the stem and seeds. Less land fill.
Enjoy your blog, thank you.
I made a full recipe with a yellow capsicum/bell pepper though used 8 ounces beef mince as that is what I vacuum seal and freeze my portions of mince otherwise made as per recipe though I also cooked the cap of the capsicum/bell pepper and left it whole instead of halving it and layered the extra meat on the cap in the baking dish and put slices of cheese on top of each and not only was it delicious but oh so filling that I could not eat it all leaving most of the capsicum/bell pepper which I will dice and use in an omelet or other dish. thank you so much Joanie for another great dinner.
First off, in order to write a comment you have to rate the recipe. I have not made this as yet, but it sounds delicious. My comment is that one very good pepper is missing to use….the poblano pepper. They are wonderful stuffed. I am going to make this recipe, but not sure when, and wanted to put out the idea. When I do make it, I am going to use the poblano and ground lamb and I will recomment on the recipe. Honestly, I don’t see how this recipe could be anything less than five stars and I love the fact that there is no rice.
Yes! I just tried using poblano peppers last year, and they are absolutely delicious for stuffed peppers.