Cheesy Ground Beef & Bell Pepper Bake

From the photo, this looks like a cheesy ground-beef, bell-pepper and tomato casserole baked in individual aluminum trays. It is similar to an unstuffed-stuffed-pepper casserole: seasoned beef and colorful peppers underneath a generous layer of bubbling cheese.

Below is a full, from-scratch version designed to give you the same appearance and flavor.

Yield
Servings: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35–45 minutes
Total: about 1 hour
Oven: 375°F / 190°C
Ingredients
Beef & vegetable filling
1½ lb (680 g) ground beef, preferably 80–90% lean
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into chunks
1½ cups crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp olive oil, if needed
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground black pepper
¾ tsp salt, or to taste
½ tsp chili flakes, optional
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ cup water or beef broth, if the mixture becomes too thick
Cheese topping
2 cups (200–225 g) shredded mozzarella
1 cup (100–115 g) shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack
¼ cup grated Parmesan, optional
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp Italian seasoning

For the most photo-like topping: use mostly mozzarella with some cheddar. The mozzarella gives you those long, melted, golden-white patches while cheddar helps with browning.

Optional additions

For a heartier casserole, add:

2 cups cooked white or brown rice
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup corn
1 small zucchini, diced
1 jalapeño
½ cup black beans

Rice is particularly appropriate if you want this to resemble a traditional stuffed-pepper casserole; many versions combine ground beef, peppers, rice, tomato sauce and melted cheese.

Full Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Preheat the oven

Preheat to:

375°F / 190°C

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or prepare 6 individual foil/aluminum baking trays like those shown in your picture.

2. Prepare the vegetables

Wash and dry the peppers.

Remove:

stems
seeds
white membranes

Cut the peppers into approximately 1-inch pieces.

Dice the onion and mince the garlic.

For the appearance in your photo, don’t dice the peppers too finely. Large colorful pieces look much better after baking.

3. Brown the beef

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the ground beef.

Break it apart with a wooden spoon and cook for approximately 6–8 minutes, until browned and no longer pink.

If there is a lot of rendered fat, drain most of it.

Leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan for flavor.

4. Add onion and garlic

Add the diced onion.

Cook for about 3 minutes.

Add:

minced garlic
smoked paprika
Italian seasoning
onion powder
garlic powder
oregano
black pepper
salt
chili flakes, if using

Cook for another 30–60 seconds.

The spices should become fragrant.

5. Add the peppers

Add the red, green and yellow/orange peppers.

Cook for approximately 5–7 minutes.

Don’t completely soften them.

You want them slightly tender but still firm, because they’ll continue cooking in the oven.

6. Add tomato

Stir in:

tomato paste
crushed tomatoes/tomato sauce
Worcestershire sauce

Mix well.

If the mixture looks excessively thick, add about ¼ cup beef broth or water.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

You should have a thick, flavorful beef-and-pepper mixture—not a watery sauce.

7. Assemble
If using one large casserole

Spread the beef and pepper mixture evenly into your baking dish.

If you’re adding cooked rice, mix it into the beef mixture before transferring it to the dish.

Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.

Add cheddar/Monterey Jack.

Finish with Parmesan if using.

If using individual foil trays

Divide the beef mixture between 6 trays.

Don’t fill them completely to the rim.

Leave approximately ½ inch / 1–1.5 cm at the top.

Cover each portion generously with cheese.

This is what gives you the restaurant/takeout-style appearance seen in the photograph.

8. Bake

Place in the preheated oven.

Bake for approximately:

20–25 minutes uncovered

until:

the filling is bubbling
the cheese is completely melted
the edges are starting to brown

For an especially golden top, switch to broil/grill for 1–3 minutes at the end.

Watch carefully during broiling—the cheese can go from golden to burnt very quickly.

9. Finish

Remove from the oven.

Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes.

Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

For an even prettier presentation, add a little:

fresh parsley
cracked black pepper
Parmesan

Serve hot.

How to Get the Exact Look in Your Photo

The biggest difference between an ordinary casserole and the photograph is how you assemble it.

Use these tricks:

1. Keep the peppers chunky.
Use large red, green and yellow pieces rather than finely chopped peppers.

2. Don’t completely cook the peppers beforehand.
They should retain some color and shape.

3. Use freshly shredded cheese.
It generally melts more smoothly than many pre-shredded cheeses.

4. Make the cheese layer thick.
Aim for roughly ½ inch / 1–1.5 cm of cheese.

5. Don’t cover while baking.
You want the surface exposed so it develops those golden-brown spots.

6. Finish under the broiler.
This creates the browned patches visible throughout the cheese in your photograph.

7. Add parsley after baking.
The green flecks provide the same contrast as the photo.

Optional Rice Version

If you want a complete one-dish meal, add:

2 cups cooked rice

Mix it into the beef mixture before adding the cheese.

This makes the casserole considerably more filling and is consistent with many stuffed-pepper casserole preparations, which combine beef, bell peppers, rice, tomato and cheese.

Tip: Don’t add 2 cups of uncooked rice directly to this version. Uncooked rice requires substantially more liquid and cooking time.

Spicy Version

For a spicy version, add:

1 jalapeño, diced
½ tsp cayenne
½–1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp hot sauce

You can also replace some of the cheddar with pepper Jack.

Meat Substitutions

You can substitute the beef with:

Meat Result
Ground turkey Leaner, lighter
Ground chicken Mild and lean
Ground pork Richer
Beef + pork Extra juicy
Plant-based ground meat Vegetarian-style

If using very lean beef, add a small amount of olive oil during cooking so the filling doesn’t become dry.

What to Serve With It

Because this is already quite rich, simple sides work best:

Green salad
Steamed broccoli
Roasted vegetables
Garlic bread
Cucumber-tomato salad
Coleslaw
Corn
Avocado

For a complete comfort-food dinner, serve it with a small green salad and garlic bread.

Make-Ahead & Storage
Refrigerator

Cool the casserole and refrigerate in a sealed container.

Best quality: 3–4 days.

Freezer

The beef-and-pepper mixture can be frozen, although the texture of the peppers and cheese may change somewhat after thawing.

For best results, assemble the beef mixture, cool it, freeze it, then add fresh cheese before baking.

Reheating

Oven:
350°F / 175°C for about 15–25 minutes.

Microwave:
Heat individual portions in 60–90 second intervals until hot.

Troubleshooting Q&A
Q: Why is my casserole watery?

Usually there is too much tomato liquid or the peppers released water.

Fix: simmer the beef mixture longer before assembling. You want a thick filling.

Q: Why isn’t my cheese browning?

Move the casserole to the upper part of the oven and broil for 1–3 minutes.

Stay beside the oven and watch it closely.

Q: Why did my cheese become oily?

This can happen with very fatty cheese or if the casserole is baked excessively.

Use a combination of low-moisture mozzarella + cheddar/Monterey Jack and avoid overbaking.

Q: Can I use pre-shredded cheese?

Yes, but freshly shredded cheese usually gives a nicer melt.

Q: Can I use frozen peppers?

Yes. Thaw and drain them well first. Otherwise, excess water can make the casserole watery.

Q: Can I make this without rice?

Absolutely. The pictured style actually works very well without rice—the beef, peppers, tomato and cheese become the main components.

Q: Can I make it with chicken?

Yes. Use approximately 1½ lb ground chicken. Because chicken is leaner, add 1 tbsp olive oil and make sure the meat is fully cooked.

Q: Can I use different cheese?

Yes. Good choices include:

Mozzarella
Cheddar
Monterey Jack
Colby Jack
Provolone
Pepper Jack
Parmesan

For the closest visual result, use mozzarella + cheddar/Monterey Jack.

Q: Can I make individual portions like the photograph?

Yes. Divide the filling among 6 oven-safe disposable aluminum trays, top each with cheese and bake until bubbling and golden.

Important: only use trays labeled as oven-safe, and place them on a sturdy baking sheet before putting them in the oven.

Q: Can I make it vegetarian?

Yes. Replace the beef with:

plant-based ground meat,
lentils,
black beans,
mushrooms,
or a combination.

Increase the vegetables and season well.

Nutrition — Approximate

For 6 servings, using the beef, peppers, tomato and cheese version without rice, a serving will be approximately:

Calories: 500–600 kcal
Protein: 35–40 g
Carbohydrates: 15–20 g
Fat: 30–40 g
Fiber: 3–5 g

These are estimates and will vary substantially with the fat percentage of the beef and the amount/type of cheese used.

Adding rice will increase the carbohydrates and calories.

Allergen & Dietary Information
Naturally free of:
Peanuts
Tree nuts
Fish
Shellfish

provided none of your packaged ingredients contain them or have cross-contact warnings.

Contains:
Milk/dairy from mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan.
Wheat/gluten may be present in Worcestershire sauce or other packaged seasonings, depending on the brand.
For gluten-free:

Use certified gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, tomato products and seasonings.

For dairy-free:

Use a dairy-free mozzarella-style cheese and dairy-free cheddar-style cheese.

Low-carb:

Simply omit the rice. The beef, peppers, tomato and cheese version is considerably lower in carbohydrates.

My Recommended Version

For the closest result to your picture, I’d make it this way:

1½ lb ground beef + 3 colorful bell peppers + onion + garlic + tomato paste + crushed tomatoes + Worcestershire + smoked paprika + Italian seasoning → simmer until thick → divide into individual foil trays → cover generously with mozzarella and cheddar → bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes → broil 1–2 minutes → parsley on top.