Baked Chili Mac Stuffed Peppers (Printable)

Colorful bell peppers filled with cheesy chili mac made with seasoned beef, black beans, and elbow pasta for a satisfying weeknight meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Peppers

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

→ 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 black beans, 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 ounces, 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 - Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
17 - Sliced green onions, optional

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to accommodate the peppers in an upright position.
02 - Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni 1 to 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, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in black beans, diced tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in cooked macaroni and half of the shredded cheddar cheese, about 1/2 cup.
07 - Arrange bell peppers upright in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the chili mac mixture evenly into each pepper, pressing down gently to ensure thorough filling.
08 - Top each filled pepper with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
09 - Pour 1/4 cup water into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
10 - Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until peppers are tender and cheese is golden brown.
11 - Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced green onions if desired.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It's basically two comfort foods married together, so every forkful hits different than eating them separately.
  • The prep is genuinely quick, and watching those peppers transform in the oven never gets old.
  • You get serious protein without feeling like you're eating "healthy food"—it's just delicious.
02 -
  • Don't skip undercooking the pasta—I learned this the hard way when I made it to package directions and ended up with mushy mac inside soft peppers, which is texturally disappointing.
  • The water in the bottom of the baking dish is non-negotiable; without it, the peppers steam unevenly and the bottom can stick or char.
03 -
  • Shred your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded—it melts smoother and tastes noticeably sharper.
  • Let the chili mixture cool for just a minute before filling the peppers so you're not wrestling with something scalding hot, but not so long that it stops steaming.
Go Back