My Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers Will Be The Best Dinner You Make All Fall

Dear Dinner Therapist: My biggest dinner struggle is making something that my husband and I both enjoy. I’d rather not make two different meals. He likes heavier meals (think: lasagna, spaghetti, pizza, etc.), and I prefer lighter meals such as lemon orzo pasta. I need a recipe that’s fun to make but doesn’t involve active cooking for over an hour or a long ingredient list. —Divided Over Dinner

Dear Divided Over Dinner: First, I want you to know that you are not alone in this dinner struggle — not even close! We’ve received so many versions of the same questions since I started writing the Dinner Therapist column last year. I have a really fun (and totally delicious!) solution for you: chicken Parmesan stuffed peppers.

This dinner has all the flavors you’d expect from really good chicken Parmesan stuffed into a tender bell pepper. One of my favorite things about these stuffed peppers (aside from the chicken Parm vibes) is that they’re incredibly versatile — either the whole or part of a batch can be easily modified to meet the preferences of all eaters around the table.

Here’s how versatile these stuffed peppers are. If there’s a serious veggie-lover at the table, you can easily mix more veggies into some or all of the filling. Maybe some peppers get the full amount of cheese, but those who want it on the lighter side can reduce the amount of cheese on the others. And if there’s a pasta-lover at the table or someone who really enjoys something carby with dinner, I’ve got you covered: Round out the stuffed peppers with some buttered noodles, a pot of orzo, fluffy baked rice (it can cook in a separate dish right alongside the peppers), roasted potatoes, or garlic bread.

Why You’ll Love It

• Comforting chicken Parm vibes meets stuffed peppers. It really tastes like chicken Parm. The filling is juicy and flavorful, with lots of melty mozzarella, and the peppers are perfectly tender — neither crunchy nor soggy.

• They’re easy to prep ahead of time. The peppers can be stuffed and refrigerated up to two days before baking, or even frozen (unbaked) for up to one month. When you’re ready to cook, just thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake according to directions, adding a few more minutes covered baking time). Alternatively, just cook the filling up to a day in advance and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble and bake.

Key Ingredients in Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers

• Bell peppers: You want medium to large bell peppers that have a stable base so that they won’t tip over in the baking dish. For this reason, I prefer skipping those multi-packs and picking out individual peppers when making this dish.

• Ground chicken: Lean ground chicken keeps these stuffed peppers on the lighter side. Choose dark meat so the filling stays juicy.

• Marinara sauce: Some jarred marinara sauce adds flavor to the filling and keeps the chicken from drying out.

• Mozzarella cheese: You can grab a box grater and shred your own mozzarella, or pick up a bag of pre-shredded cheese. Both options work well.

How to Make Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers

1. Prep the peppers. Hollow out the bell peppers first. It’s important that the peppers are stable when standing upright in the baking dish, so trim a little bit off the bottom of each pepper to make it more stable if needed.

2. Make the filling and assemble. Cook the vegetables, ground chicken, and marinara until the meat is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in some of the cheese. Divide the filling between the peppers and arrange upright in the baking dish.

3. Cover and bake. Tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through.

4. Uncover, top with more cheese, and finish baking. Uncover and sprinkle with more mozzarella, followed by toasted panko breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and lightly browned around the edges.

Helpful Swaps and Modifications

• You can very easily up the veggies in this meal by stirring shredded carrots or fresh or frozen chopped greens (like spinach, kale, or chard) into the filling. And if not everyone around the table is game for greens, stuff some of the peppers with the regular filling first, then add whatever veggies you like to the remaining filling before you stuff the last peppers.

• If you prefer to keep your stuffed peppers on the lighter side, you can reduce or skip the mozzarella mixed into the filling, and/or reduce the amount of cheese on top.

• Ground turkey or ground beef would also work in place of ground chicken.

Dinner Therapist is my column dedicated to solving your dilemmas around the most important — but let’s be honest, sometimes most dreaded — meal of the day. Prepping dinner night after night can be so hard. Here, I deliver practical and hopefully fun advice to make cooking less complicated and more enjoyable. Follow along for all the recipes. Got your own dinner struggles? We want to hear from you! Fill out this super-quick form for your chance to be featured in an upcoming column.

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Cheesy chicken Parm meets stuffed peppers.

Prep time 25 minutes

Cook time 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 large red, orange, or yellow bell peppers

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

• 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat

• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

• 1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces), divided

• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce), plus more for garnish

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves (from about 1 medium bunch), plus more for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Cut the tops from 4 large bell peppers and finely chop (about 1 cup). Remove and discard the inner membrane and seeds. If needed, trim a little bit off the bottom of each pepper so that it is stable when standing up.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs and 1 pinch kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

3. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chopped bell pepper tops, 1 medium diced yellow onion, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Add 1 pound ground chicken. Cook, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

5. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves. Taste and season with more kosher salt or black pepper as needed.

6. Evenly divide the filling among the peppers (about 1 cup each). Arrange the peppers, cut-side up, in an 8x8-inch baking dish. Pour in enough water to just cover the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.

7. Bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and toasted panko.

8. Return to the oven and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil leaves if desired.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The peppers can be stuffed and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking, or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake according to directions, but they may require up to 10 minutes more covered baking time.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a 350ºF oven until warmed through, about 30 minutes.

Further Reading

Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study

Tuscan Chicken Is the "Most Delicious" Dinner of All Time, Says Everyone Who's Tried It

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