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
If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.
Buon appetito,
Rosa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 bell peppers sliced (any colours)
- 8 ounce (227 grams) cremini or white mushrooms sliced (approx. 6-8 mushrooms)
- 3/4 cup walnut pieces
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup tomato sauce or tomato purée of choice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1.5 teaspoon chili powder
- 1.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté function and add a couple tablespoons of water or broth to the pot. Place the onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, walnuts and all the seasoning inside. Then sauté for 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add the remaining ingredients (broth, tomato sauce and rice), mix well and close the lid. Set the valve to the sealing position pressure cook for 22 minutes. (It will take about 8 minutes to build pressure before the pot begins counting down.) Once the timer is complete, let it naturally release for 10 minutes. Then quick release the remaining pressure and remove the lid when safe to do so. Enjoy.
This is one of our new fave recipes! It’s so easy to make, and tastes incredible! I’ve always loved stuffed peppers, but never made them very often. Until now! This recipe definitely delivers all the classic stuffed pepper flavors you’d expect, and a fraction of the work. A winner in my book!
Thanks so much for the review Brei! Thrilled you’re enjoying this recipe and that it’s on your favourites list! 🙂
This is such a good recipe! Made it for the third time last night. Thank you!
You’re very welcome Pina. So glad you enjoyed. 🙂
I just made this and used wild rice. Other than that I followed the recipe. I had to add another 5 minutes to the rice. I liked the texture but I think it needs more spice. Next time .i might try a little Chili pepper or jalapeño.
Glad you enjoyed, some jalapeno sounds great! 🙂
Absolutely a fantastic recipe. Making it again today. Thank you Soooo much for posting this!
Aw my pleasure Ray. Thanks very much for the feedback, so glad you’re enjoying!
I’m making this right now! This is my fourth time making it since I found the recipe a month or two ago. The flavors are amazing! I do set my foodi for 23 minutes as I felt my rice wasn’t cooked enough for me. This time I’m leaving out the walnuts (don’t have any.) but I know it so still be great! Thank you for such an amazing dish!
Amazing! So glad to hear it Julie. Thanks so much for the review! Thrilled you’re enjoying. 🙂
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!
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!
Wooow sooo delicious 😋, thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!
Thanks so much!
This recipe is so yummy and tasty!!!
Thanks for sharing!
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 might be my kids’ new favorite food, it’s easy to make and very delicious as well.
Great to hear, thanks Preet!
Thanks for sharing this nice recipe. Its one of my favorite comfort food.
Thanks Kalyan!
Very scrumptious and yes the instant made it a lot easier. Great recipe.
Thank you Lydia!
Yum! We all loved this one, thank you.
Thanks Sofia, my pleasure!
My hubby, son and I STUFFED ourselves with these UNSTUFFED peppers for dinner last night. Delicious! So tasty! Yum! 😋
Thanks for the feedback Michelle, so glad your family enjoyed this recipe. 🙂