These unstuffed peppers, or stuffed pepper casserole offer the same great flavours of your favourite stuffed peppers, with a little less prep work. They’re hearty, comforting and totally satisfying. Plus, it’s made in your hands off Instant Pot for a super easy, super quick weeknight meal.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can easily adapt this recipe to a stove top version. Just sauté your veggies in a large sauce pan. Then add all remaining ingredients, plus an extra cup of water or broth and simmer for 35-40 minutes, until liquids are mostly evaporated. It will take a few extra minutes of cooking, but the taste will be just as great!
Alternatively, if you have a rice cooker, you may cook your rice as usual in your cooker. Meanwhile sauté your veggies, and then add the tomato sauce and seasonings. Once the rice is cooked, just mix everything together. No matter what appliances you have, you can make this dish! And you should, it’s delicious!
What makes up a stuffed pepper? (Or unstuffed peppers)
- Peppers, duh.
- A grain, typically rice, barley, or quinoa.
- Protein, often ground meat, veggie grounds or nuts/seeds. To make this plant based, I’m using walnuts here.
- Some kind of sauce to hold it all together.
- Seasoning.
Pretty simple! This time I’ve gone with brown rice and walnuts. For seasoning, I’m using cumin and smoked paprika to give this dish some “meaty” flavours. In fact, hubby took a bite and asked “Is there meat in this?” So yes, I think this unstuffed peppers recipe is a winner for well balanced, yummy flavour!
Want more delicious, EASY recipes you can make in your hands off Instant Pot? Try these!
- Instant Pot Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
- Vegan Sloppy Joes (Soup or Sandwich!)
- Easy Vegetable Lentil Soup to Feed the Lot
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup with Quinoa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tsp avocado oil or cooking oil of choice
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 bell peppers sliced (any colours)
- 6 cremini mushrooms sliced
- 3/4 cup walnut pieces
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup homemade tomato sauce or tomato purée of choice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté function and add the oil, onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, and walnuts. Sauté for about 5 minutes until veggies are softened.
- Then add all remaining ingredients, close the lid, locking to the sealing position. Set your Instant Pot to high pressure for 20 minutes. (It will take about 10 minutes to build pressure before the pot begins counting down.) Once timer is complete, let it naturally release for 10 minutes, and then you may quick release the remaining pressure. When the pin drops, open the lid, serve and enjoy.
Made this tonight Rosa! Delicious! Used a mandoline slicer to make quick work of the peppers and onions. Skipped the oil for an even healthier version. Thank you for a recipe that’s tasty and quick to make after work! Will definitely make again!
Thrilled you enjoyed it Dee, my pleasure! Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback. Much appreciated. 🙂
Made on a stove top. Very good, and my meat-loving husband liked it also. The crunch of the walnuts is a big plus in this recipe. I packed the filling into bell pepper halves that had been boiled just to the point of crisp-tender. I think if I were to make it with bell pepper strips, I would saute the strips separately to make sure that they were still slightly crisp, not limp, and then stir all together at the end.
Glad you both enjoyed this recipe Janet! Thanks so much for your feedback and for sharing your process with us. 🙂
I’ve made this twice so far and both times it was amazing. I don’t have an Instant Pot but came out on the stovetop as well. So quick and easy to make. The best part is my kids loved it too.
Thanks for your feedback Michelle, so glad you and your family enjoy this recipe!
Hi there,
This recipe looks yummy! Thanks for sharing. I’m going to try it in the pressure cooker. But, do the peppers turn to mush under pressure for that long?
Thanks!
Tina
Hi Tina, thanks so much. The peppers don’t turn to mush, but they do soften. If you prefer more of a crunch, cut your pepper slices thicker and don’t sauté as long before you pressure cook. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I haven’t tried peppers on instant pot, will definitely try this one 🙂
Awesome, enjoy!
I made these for dinner last night and they were a total hit! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
That’s so great to hear, thanks!
I love stuffed peppers so the recipe for unstuffed peppers in the Instant Pot is really a keeper. I will be making this often 🙂
Thank you, enjoy!
I love how easy this is to make using the instant pot! Such a great dinner option for a busy weeknight. Looks fantastic!
Thanks so much, definitely great for weeknights!
This recipe looks so yummy and tasty. I really want to try this.
Thanks hope you enjoy!
Wooow seems delicious 😋, thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!
Thanks so much for your feedback!
sounds really delicious. i appreciate your efforts and time for sharing this recipe. i will try to prepare it as per your instructions and i will also share my experience with you. you are really a good cook.
This looks yummy. Just got an instant pot so still learning how to use it. Can’t wait to try it out and this recipe.
Thanks, hope you enjoy!