Colorful Oven-Baked Stuffed Red Pepper – Family & Baby-Friendly Dinner
Bright, tender, and full of flavor, this colorful oven baked stuffed red pepper recipe is perfect for family dinners. Whether you’re feeding babies, toddlers, or adults, these baked red pepper halves are a healthy, easy, and eye-catching meal everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 3 large red bell peppers halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed (6 halves)
- 1 cup cooked rice or quinoa
- 225 g ground beef, turkey, or chicken or substitute with lentils or beans for vegetarian
- 1 small onion, finely chopped optional, omit for babies
- ½ cup finely diced carrots
- ½ cup finely diced zucchini
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup mild cheese, grated optional, for toddlers/adults
- ½ tbsp mild herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano)
- pinch of salt and pepper omit for babies under 1 year
- light tomato sauce, béchamel, or mild gravy for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat Oven Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Prepare Pepper HalvesWash peppers, cut each in half lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes, and arrange upright in a baking dish.
- Cook the FillingHeat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onion (if using), carrots, and zucchini for 3–5 minutes until softened.Add protein (meat, or lentils/beans for vegetarian) and cook until fully done.Stir in cooked rice, herbs, and a pinch of salt/pepper (omit for babies).
- Stuff the PeppersSpoon the mixture evenly into each pepper half. Sprinkle cheese on top if desired.
- BakeCover the dish with foil and bake for 25–30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until peppers are tender and cheese is lightly golden.
- Cool & ServeLet cool slightly. Serve as-is for adults, drizzle with sauce if desired, or cut into small pieces for toddlers and mash/puree for babies.
Notes
Please note: The nutritional information provided is an estimate, calculated using an online nutrition calculator.