Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers are loaded with flavorfully seasoned beef, mushrooms, and onions under a melted blanket of provolone cheese.
Stuffed peppers are a versatile family meal that lends itself well to creativity and customization. This can also make for a healthy dish as leaner meats are often the best to use since you don't want grease pooling at the bottom of the pepper.
My Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers use lean ground beef rather than shaved steak because it is more accessible for the average home cook, and soaks up additional flavorings well. The addition of beef broth, Worcestershire, and tomato paste to this recipe creates wonderful depth and richness.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Green bell peppers - You can substitute any other color bell pepper.
- Lean ground beef - This recipe is ideal for using extra lean ground beef that is 90/10 or leaner. This will save you calories and result in less grease without sacrificing flavor. Save the fattier hamburger for making homemade burgers and meatloaf. However, you can substitute thinly sliced steak, or even deli roast beef if you wish.
- Table salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Yellow onion - Sweet onion or red onion are both good substitutes. You could fortify the flavor with some onion powder too.
- Sliced mushrooms
- Garlic cloves - ½ teaspoon of garlic powder can be substituted.
- Cornstarch
- Tomato paste
- Worcestershire sauce - Soy sauce can be substituted.
- Beef broth
- Provolone cheese
How to make them
Begin making this Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers recipe by cutting the peppers in half and baking them without any filling at 400 degrees for 25 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet. They are beginning to soften at this point, but still retain some crispness. Retaining their crispness helps prevent them from collapsing.
Tip: If you prefer a softer pepper shell, you can bake them longer. However, the peppers are hard to fill when they become too soft, so consider adding the filling to the peppers after 25 minutes and then continuing to bake to your desired tenderness.
When your peppers are baking in the oven, set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the sliced mushrooms, onions, ground beef, salt and pepper (olive oil can be added if the beef is very lean). Cook until the ground beef is nicely browned and the mushrooms are tender. Then add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
Next, add the cornstarch and tomato past to the mushroom mixture and combine well. Once combined, pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated and turn off the heat.
When the peppers have finished baking, place a slice of cheese inside of each pepper, then fill with the beef mixture, topping with an additional slice of cheese.
Set your broiler to high heat and place the stuffed mushrooms directly under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is beginning to brown and bubble.
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
Leftover Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to five days, for best flavor. They can be reheated easily in the microwave, but I recommend cutting them in half and laying them open to allow them to reheat more evenly.
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 4 green bell peppers (cut in half lengthwise)
- 1 pound lean ground beef (90/10 beef or leaner)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium onion (~2 cups)
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- 16 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place halved peppers on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- While peppers bake, add mushrooms, onions, ground beef, salt, and pepper to a large skillet set over medium-high heat and saute until beef is browned and the onions and mushrooms are tender. Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle cornstarch into the skillet and mix to combine, then do the same with tomato paste.
- Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until the liquid has almost completely evaporated, then remove the cheesesteak mixture from the heat.
- Remove the green peppers from the oven and line the bottom of the pepper's interior with a slice of cheese, add the meat mixture, and then top the pepper with an additional slice of provolone cheese.
- Set the broiler on high and place the stuffed peppers directly under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is beginning to turn golden brown.
Notes
Nutritional Information
This recipe was originally published on May 22, 2019.
Frank
The Wife, who hails from Philly, really liked it.
Mary Oswalt
Loved this recipe, all the good stuff. However I found a much better way to cook peppers with fillings already in them. Put about an inch of water in bottom of pan, and cook as called for the rest of the recipe. This way is easier and takes only half the time.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Taylor
This was a hit in my house! I substituted ground turkey and finely chopped celery for the mushrooms. I also cooked some rice in beef broth and served that on the side. I left the sauce a little watery so the rice would soak up the juice 🤤🤤🤤.