Baked Chili Mac Stuffed Peppers (Printable)

Colorful bell peppers filled with hearty chili mac topped with bubbling cheddar cheese for a satisfying weeknight dinner.

# Ingredient List:

→ Peppers

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

→ 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 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - Green onions, sliced

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold peppers upright.
02 - Bring salted water to boil in a pot. Cook elbow macaroni 1-2 minutes less than package directions to achieve al dente texture. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté until softened, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
04 - Add ground beef or turkey to the skillet and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in black beans, diced tomatoes with 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 1/2 cup cheddar cheese until evenly incorporated.
07 - Arrange bell peppers upright in the prepared baking dish. Spoon chili mac mixture evenly into each pepper, pressing gently to fill completely.
08 - Top each filled pepper with remaining cheddar cheese.
09 - Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the baking dish. Cover dish tightly with foil.
10 - Bake for 30 minutes covered in the preheated oven.
11 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until peppers are tender and cheese is golden.
12 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced green onions if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a complete protein-packed meal in one colorful package that actually keeps you satisfied for hours.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, which means dinner on the table without the stress.
  • Melted cheddar on top of tender peppers filled with seasoned chili mac is honestly just comfort food done right.
02 -
  • Undercooking the pasta by a minute or two is the difference between a pleasant texture and mush—this matters more than you'd think.
  • Rinsing your canned beans removes the starchy liquid that can turn your filling gluey, and this small step actually changes everything about the final texture.
03 -
  • Let the peppers rest 5 minutes after baking—this gives the filling time to set so it won't fall right out when you cut into it.
  • If your peppers seem too firm after 30 minutes of covered baking, just add another 5 minutes before removing the foil.
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