Stuffed Peppers

Green bell peppers stuffed with seasoned ground beef, rice, and canned tomato, kept low-FODMAP with garlic-infused oil and scallion greens in place of onion and garlic.

Prep 25 min

Cook 45 min

Serves 4

Gluten-free

Ingredients

• 4 small-to-medium green bell peppers (about 4 to 5 oz / 115 to 140 g each)
• 3/4 cup (140 g) uncooked long-grain white rice, or about 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
• 1/2 cup scallion greens, thinly sliced (green tops only)
• 1 pound (450 g) lean ground beef
• 1 cup (240 g) canned crushed or diced tomatoes (about 60 g per serving, under the 100 g Monash serve)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) low-FODMAP chicken broth or water, plus a splash for the dish
• 1 cup (about 100 g) shredded cheddar cheese, divided (25 g per serving)

Instructions

Cook the Rice

1. Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clear. Cook it in water or chicken broth per the package directions, about 15 minutes, then fluff and set aside. Leftover cooked rice works too; you need about 2 cups.

Prep the Peppers

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Slice the top off each pepper and pull out the core and seeds. Trim a thin sliver off the bottom of any pepper that won't stand upright, but don't cut all the way through or the filling will leak.
3. For softer peppers, parboil them in a pot of water for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain cut-side down. For more bite, skip this and bake them from raw.

Make the Filling

1. Warm the garlic-infused oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion greens and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned and cooked through (USDA calls for an internal temperature of 160°F / 71°C). Tip out any excess fat.
3. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and broth. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cooked rice and half of the cheddar. Taste and adjust the salt.

Stuff and Bake

1. Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish that holds them snugly. Spoon the filling into each one, mounding it slightly at the top. Scatter the remaining cheddar over the tops.
2. Pour a splash of water or broth into the bottom of the dish and cover tightly with foil.
3. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted and golden.
4. Let the peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips & Substitutions

• Choose green peppers over red. Green bell pepper has a larger low-FODMAP serve than red, which Monash lists at 75 g. Pick small-to-medium peppers so each shell stays near that serve, and check the Monash app for the current tested amount.
• Keep the canned tomato under the cap. Monash rates canned tomatoes as low-FODMAP at 1/2 cup (100 g) per serve. One cup across four peppers keeps each serving around 60 g, with room to spare.
• Swap the protein. Ground turkey, chicken, or pork all work in place of beef. Use plain, unseasoned meat; pre-seasoned taco or sausage blends carry onion and garlic powder.
• Make it dairy-free. Leave off the cheddar and the filling still holds together on the rice. Cheddar is naturally very low in lactose, so the 25 g per serving here is fine for most people who tolerate dairy.
• Cook the rice in broth for more flavor. Water is fine, but simmering the rice in low-FODMAP chicken broth adds savory depth that onion and garlic would normally provide.
• Use quinoa instead of rice. Cooked quinoa is low-FODMAP at 1 cup and swaps in one-for-one if you want more protein in the filling.

Why This Works

• Garlic-infused oil carries the flavor. The fructans in garlic don't dissolve into oil, so infused oil delivers the garlic taste without the FODMAP that comes with the clove.
• Scallion greens stand in for onion. The fructans in onions and scallions sit in the white bulb, not the green tops. Slicing only the green tops keeps the onion flavor and drops the load.
• Green pepper has room to work as the vessel. Green bell pepper is low-FODMAP at a larger serve than red, which makes it the better whole-pepper shell to fill and bake.
• Rice and beef are a safe base. Plain white rice and plain ground beef are both low-FODMAP in normal serving sizes, so the bulk of the dish carries no FODMAP load.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover stuffed peppers in a sealed container for up to 3 to 4 days at 40°F (4°C) or below. Reheat single peppers in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or cover with foil and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes. They freeze well: wrap cooled peppers individually and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. If you are sensitive to green pepper, stick to one pepper per sitting and lean on the filling rather than eating extra shells.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.