Unstuffed peppers skillet is an easy, one-pan meal filled with ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and peppers. All the flavor of your favorite stuffed peppers meal - without the fuss!
In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add diced onions and peppers. Cook until onions begin to turn translucent and peppers begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
Crumble ground beef into pan and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, rice, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes to pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is cooked through. Add a splash of water as needed if skillet begins to look dry. (Cooking time will vary based on the type of rice used. Brown rice takes longer, up to 35 minutes.)
Remove from heat, sprinkle shredded cheese on top, and allow to melt before serving.
Notes
Rinse your rice before cooking to remove surface starch, which can cause rice to stick together and become gummy when cooked.
Type of rice used can cause cooking time to vary. Refer to rice package directions and adjust as needed.
To substitute with instant rice: Instant rice requires less liquid to cook, a 1:1 liquid to rice ratio. Reduce beef broth to 8 ounces for 1 cup of instant rice.
If skillet begins to look dry before rice is cooked through, add a splash of water and stir to combine. Continually removing the lid will cause some moisture to escape.