Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole | Dump-and-Bake

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This Dump and Bake Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole is cheesy, flavor-packed, and simple – dump everything in the oven, then bake until bubbly! 

I’m back with another easy/convenient/delicious Dump and Bake recipe, and this one does not disappoint. This Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole has all the good flavor of a classic stuffed pepper with none of the hassle! Dry rice and lentils combine with peppers, seasonings, and tomato sauce to create a bubbly, cheese, flavor-packed recipe that’s perfect for meal prep or a weeknight dinner.

Stuffed Pepper casserole in white bowl topped with melty vegan cheese and parsley

INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION

Like all of my other dump and bake casseroles, this recipe is naturally gluten-free and made from budget-friendly and pantry-friendly ingredients. Since we’re baking everything in the oven all mixed together, I guess you could call it an unstuffed pepper casserole instead 😉

Ingredients for stuffed pepper casserole arranged in small bowls inside of casserole dish

Stuffed peppers are normally made with ground beef or chicken, but I decided to use dry lentils, which are a great natural source of plant-based protein and fiber. Plus I love their hearty flavor, and texture too! The combination of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes adds a lot of umami flavor and keeps the casserole perfectly saucy. The melty vegan cheese on top is technically optional, but I’d recommend using it for the classic stuffed pepper flavor.

HOW TO MAKE STUFFED PEPPER CASSEROLE

side-by-side photos of casserole before baking and after baking once topped with vegan cheese and parsley

The dry-to-wet liquid ratios are *perfectly* calculated for this recipe, so all you have to do is mix everything together and let it bake – yes even the rice and lentils – in the oven! Baking in the oven is way more convenient than in a skillet on the stovetop too – there’s much less hands-on time, and no need to stand over a steamy simmering pot.

  1. Combine the broth ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil on the stovetop
  2. In the meantime, combine the dry rice and lentils with all of the veggies in a casserole dish. Mix well.
  3. Pour the broth over the lentil and rice mixture, then cover and bake.
  4. Uncover and stir, then top with cheese and broil until bubbly!

Let me tell you – tossing dry ingredients into the oven and uncovering them have a fully cooked casserole? Incredibly satisfying. I love to serve this wholesome and hearty dish as a fuss-free weeknight dinner, but it’s also great for meal prep since you can easily reheat the leftovers in the microwave!

close-up photo of spoon scooping out serving of casserole dish

COOKING TIPS + FAQ:

  • How should I store leftovers? Store any leftovers in the refrigerator – in the casserole dish or in a new airtight container – for up to 5 days.
  • Can I freeze this casserole? Yes lalala thaw completely before reheating to prevent the dish from cracking.
  • Flavor variations: to give this casserole more of a Tex-Mex vibe, add 1 cup of corn kernels along with the veggies, plus 1 tbsp chili powder (or taco seasoning) to the broth mix! You can also top with fresh cilantro instead of parsley 🙂 For more of an Italian vibe, keep the ingredients the same but top with fresh basil instead of parsley!

Spoon scooping serving of stuffed pepper casserole out of white baking dish

If you like this Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole recipe, you’ll also love these Curried Lentil Stuffed Peppers, this Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, and these Kale & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers! Or, check out this blog post for 13 more Dump & Bake Recipes

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

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Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole | Dump-and-Bake

This Dump and Bake Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole is cheesy, flavor-packed, and simple – dump everything in the oven, then bake until bubbly! Naturally gluten-free, protein-packed, and totally delicious.

  • Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 65 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

For the Broth:

  • 1 cup (245 ml) marinara sauce
  • 2 1/2 cups (590 ml) vegetable broth
  • 1 14.5 (440 g) ounce can diced tomatoes 
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

For the Casserole:

  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 1/4 cup (218 g) dry brown or green lentils, rinsed well
  • 35 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 1 cup (180 g) dry brown rice 
  • 10 ounces (280 g) frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out 
  • 1 1/22 cups dairy-free cheese, to put on top (optional)
  • Fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400F and set a 9×13″ casserole dish aside. Mix the sauce, broth, diced tomatoes, cumin, and Italian seasoning together in a medium pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Dump: While the liquid is heating up, add the onion, bell peppers, lentils, garlic, and rice to the casserole dish. Use your hands to separate and sprinkle the thawed spinach over the veggies, then mix together with a spatula until everything is evenly combined.
  3. Bake: Remove the broth from the heat once it comes to a boil and pour evenly over the casserole dish. Cover the casserole with a lid, aluminum foil, or parchment paper followed by aluminum foil and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 60 minutes.
  4. Broil: Remove from the oven, uncover, and stir well to incorporate the sauce evenly. If you are not using vegan cheese, serve here. Otherwise, top the casserole with vegan cheese and return to the oven; broil for 2 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with fresh parsley and serve warm.
  5. Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to one month.

Notes

  • White Rice: replace the brown rice with equal parts white rice. Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes instead of 400F for 60.
  • Flavor variations: to give this casserole more of a Tex-Mex vibe, add 1 cup of corn kernels along with the veggies, plus 1 tbsp chili powder (or taco seasoning) to the broth mix! You can also top with fresh cilantro instead of parsley. For more of an Italian vibe, keep the ingredients the same but top with fresh basil instead of parsley!

Keywords: stuffed pepper casserole, vegan stuffed peppers, vegan casseroles, vegan dump and bake

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About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. Wow, this was so great! I substituted red lentils instead, but left everything else as-is and it was so flavorful and the texture of everything was perfect. Definitely adding this one to the rotation! It takes a little while in the oven, but it’s very hands off and it was perfect timing to cut up the veggies while the liquid side came to a boil. Always a big fan of your dump and bake dishes and this one is no exception.

    1. Hi Whitney, we haven’t tried it but quinoa is a nutritious and gluten-free alternative to rice that will work well in this dish. You can use the same amount of dry quinoa (1 cup) as you would rice and follow the same cooking instructions. Just make sure to rinse the quinoa well before using it to remove any bitterness. Enjoy!

  2. Hi, getting ready to make this and wondering if it’s important to use frozen spinach of if I could use fresh greens instead. Thank you!

    1. Hi Karina! I would recommend using frozen spinach – fresh spinach takes up a lot more “space” and holds a lot more moisture than drained frozen spinach. If you wanted to use fresh spinach I would recommend cooking it down first to get some of the extra liquid out.

  3. This was so delicious that my husband and I had to force ourselves to stop eating! I’ll try it next time with the corn and chili powder for something different. This is going on my rotation!

    1. I like the Follow Your Heart finely shredded mozzarella (and used it for the recipe photos), but I have also really been enjoying Daiyas new shredded oat cream cheese!

  4. super easy and it tastes great!! i love lentils but they do not love me so i swapped for an equal amount of tvp, and i forgot to buy spinach so just added an extra bell pepper and some shredded (and strained) zucchini for extra veg. the whole family agreed that it’s a definite make again!! 🙂

  5. Hi, this recipe sounds good. Question, I have some lentils already cooked and I have some frozen rice that I can warm up, How much do I lesson the amount of liquids?

    This sounds amazing

    1. Hi grace! If both the lentils and rice are already cooked I would probably only add around 1/2 cup of water to create a sauce. You could also reduce the cook time to 20-25 min.

    1. Hi Cris, I have not tested this recipe in the crockpot but I believe it could work! Let me know if you have success and I can add it to the recipe notes 🙂

    2. Ive made this before(SO DELICIOUS) but want to make it with impossible beef and white rice just bc thats what I have what adjustment should i make?

      1. We haven’t tried that personally but we can suggest if you want to make the Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole with Impossible Beef and white rice, substitute lentils with Impossible Beef and replace brown rice with an equal amount of white rice. Check the casserole around 45-50 minutes for rice tenderness. Ensure the broth is well-seasoned for the change in flavor, and optionally, top with dairy-free cheese. Consider adding corn and Tex-Mex spices for a variation. Monitor the cooking process to achieve the desired consistency. Enjoy!

  6. Healthy, absolutely delicious and SO easy to pull together, will definitely make again!!!

  7. Apologies because I know someone has already touched on using quinoa instead of rice, but quinoa usually cooks in 10-15 minutes, so wouldn’t baking it for 30 as suggested below ruin its texture? If so, would it make more sense just to prepare the quinoa and vegetables separately and combine them at the end? Thanks!

    1. Hi Emily! No, the texture of the quinoa remains intact. It takes longer to cook in the oven than on the stovetop.