Garlic Parmesan Chicken Peppers (Printable)

Bell peppers baked with creamy garlic Parmesan chicken, rice, and melted cheese for a flavorful main course.

# What You'll Need:

→ Peppers

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

→ Filling

02 - 2 cups cooked white rice
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - 1 cup chicken broth
09 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus additional for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to accommodate peppers standing upright.
02 - Slice tops from bell peppers and remove all seeds and membranes. Set peppers aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
04 - In the same skillet, add chopped onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour heavy cream and chicken broth into the skillet. Stir in Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in Parmesan cheese and half of the mozzarella until completely melted and creamy.
07 - Add cooked rice, cooked chicken, and fresh parsley to the skillet. Mix thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
08 - Spoon the creamy chicken and rice mixture into each prepared bell pepper, pressing gently to fill.
09 - Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of each stuffed pepper.
10 - Arrange stuffed peppers upright in the prepared baking dish. Pour 1/4 cup water into the bottom of the dish to create steam.
11 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
12 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is golden and peppers are tender.
13 - Garnish with additional fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's a complete meal in one pepper, so weeknight dinner prep feels less chaotic than you'd expect.
  • The creamy garlic sauce coating every grain of rice is the kind of comfort food that doesn't feel heavy afterward.
  • It actually impresses people at the table without requiring you to spend your whole evening cooking.
02 -
  • The water in the bottom of the dish isn't optional, it's essential, or your peppers turn into shriveled husks and the filling dries out completely.
  • Don't use pre-shredded Parmesan from a can or box, it simply won't melt smoothly into the cream no matter how much you stir.
  • If your peppers fall over in the oven, it's not a failure, it just means next time choose peppers that are more stable on their ends.
03 -
  • Make your rice a day ahead so it's cooled completely and won't absorb all the sauce the moment it touches the filling.
  • Don't fill the peppers too early before baking, or the rice will start soaking up all the cream and the filling gets dense instead of creamy.
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