An author tested stuffed-pepper recipes from Ree Drummond, Giada De Laurentiis, and Alex Guarnaschelli. The three versions used different fillings and preparation methods, including meat-based, meat-free, and bean-and-beef approaches.

Stuffed peppers can be made in quantities to feed a large group or to provide leftovers. In the test, each recipe used bell peppers as the base but differed on whether the peppers were stuffed whole or halved and filled, and on the starch used in the filling.

Drummond’s ingredient list included zucchini, onion, garlic, Roma tomatoes, bell peppers, ground beef, and a mixture of long-grain and wild rice, and her recipe allowed any color bell peppers to be used. The author selected red, orange, and yellow bell peppers and purchased a pre-mixed long-grain and wild rice blend that can be microwaved. The author prepared the peppers by cutting off their tops and removing seeds and membranes before stuffing.

To cook the filling for Drummond’s recipe, the author sautéed onions, peppers, garlic, zucchini, and tomatoes with salt and Creole seasoning. The author cooked ground beef separately and drained its excess fat, then stuffed the peppers with a mixture of sautéed vegetables, ground beef, rice, and pepper-jack cheese. The author placed water around the stuffed peppers, drizzled olive oil on top, covered them with foil for 30 minutes, then baked uncovered for 20 minutes at 350°F.

The cheese on Drummond’s stuffed peppers browned and melted during the final 20 minutes of baking.

De Laurentiis’s stuffed-pepper recipe did not include ground meat. Her filling called for orzo pasta, canned tomatoes, chicken stock, zucchini, mint leaves, and pecorino Romano, and the recipe specified red or yellow bell peppers. The author combined canned tomatoes, grated zucchini, mint leaves, pecorino Romano, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl before adding orzo.

The author parboiled orzo in chicken stock and added it to the vegetable mixture. To make De Laurentiis’s recipe meat-free, the author noted that vegetable stock could be substituted for chicken stock. The author sliced the bottom of the peppers to help them stand and filled them with the orzo mixture, then poured remaining chicken broth around the peppers, covered them with foil, baked at 400°F for 45 minutes, removed foil, added cheese, and baked for an additional 15 minutes.

Guarnaschelli’s ingredient list included canned tomatoes, black beans, apple-cider vinegar, chili powder, cumin, ground beef, and cooked couscous or rice, and her recipe instructed halving bell peppers instead of removing their tops. The author seasoned the halved peppers with salt, pepper, and olive oil and roasted them at 400°F until soft. In the filling, the author browned ground beef and set it aside before sautéing vegetables and mixing the meat back in, then added canned black beans and apple-cider vinegar.

The author filled each halved pepper halfway with rice and topped it with the meat and bean mixture. The author used the same mixture of brown and wild rice in Guarnaschelli’s recipe as in Drummond’s.