Baked Chili Mac Stuffed Peppers (Printable)

Colorful bell peppers stuffed with hearty chili mac, ground beef, black beans, and topped with bubbly cheddar cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Peppers

01 - 4 large bell peppers, any color, tops removed and seeds cleaned

→ Pasta

02 - 3/4 cup elbow macaroni, whole wheat or regular

→ Chili Mixture

03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/2 pound lean ground beef or turkey
07 - 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
09 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
10 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Cheese

15 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

→ Garnish

16 - Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
17 - Sliced green onions, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold peppers upright.
02 - Bring pot of salted water to boil. Cook elbow macaroni 1-2 minutes less than package directions to achieve al dente texture. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
04 - Add ground beef or turkey to skillet and cook while breaking apart with spoon until browned and fully cooked, about 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in black beans, diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in cooked macaroni and half the cheddar cheese (1/2 cup) until well combined.
07 - Arrange bell peppers upright in prepared baking dish. Spoon chili mac mixture evenly into each pepper, pressing down gently to fill completely.
08 - Distribute remaining cheddar cheese evenly over top of each filled pepper.
09 - Add 1/4 cup water to bottom of baking dish. Cover dish tightly with foil.
10 - Bake covered for 30 minutes until peppers are partially tender and filling is heated through.
11 - Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes until peppers are fully tender and cheese is golden brown.
12 - Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro and green onions if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort food but delivers serious protein, so you actually feel satisfied hours later.
  • Four peppers become four individual portions, which means less plating drama and more time at the table.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, making weeknight dinners feel less like a chore and more like a small victory.
02 -
  • If your peppers are swimming in water at the end, it means they released more liquid than expected, which happens with watery peppers, so drain the dish before plating to avoid a soggy presentation.
  • Don't skip the undercooking of the pasta, because this is the one mistake that turns a great dish into something mushy and regrettable.
  • The resting period after baking is genuinely important, as it gives the peppers time to set so they don't collapse when you transfer them to a plate.
03 -
  • If you're cooking for people with different spice tolerances, make the chili mixture as written and let the heat-lovers add hot sauce or extra paprika to their own peppers after plating.
  • The water in the bottom of the baking dish is essential for tender peppers, but if your peppers are on the thinner side, check them at the 25-minute mark to make sure they're not collapsing.
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