25 Stuffed Vegetable Recipes From Starters to Sides
Dinner just got tastier.
From mushroom caps to bell peppers, you can stuff colorful vegetables with just about anything. Think: ground meat, rice, cheese, herbs, and even more veggies. Whether you're looking for a low-carb recipe or just want to take advantage of in-season produce, these recipes will hit the mark. Here, you'll find over two dozen stuffed vegetable dishes including party-friendly starters, weeknight dinners, and seasonal sides alike.
Let's start with the obvious: stuffed mushrooms. This classic cocktail hour bite is typically filled with a combination of sausage, breadcrumbs, and cheese, but there's so much more you can do with them. These Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are filled with all of the makings of a classic Caprese salad for a summer entrée that's vegetarian-friendly to boot. It's a colorful and nutrient-rich twist for dinner.
Come fall, take advantage of an abundance of butternut and acorn squashes. They're the ultimate canvas for nourishing, protein-packed dishes that you can serve for a quick weeknight meal or even an impressive dinner party main. (They're also the perfect option for a vegetarian-friendly Thanksgiving entrée).
These recipes offer inspiring and innovative ways to cook other seasonal vegetables like tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and more. These varieties of summer produce, which are often served as a side dish at cookouts and dinner parties, get to be the main event—a fact that no one will complain about.
Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan
This recipe puts eggplant front and center. Rather than slicing and breading it, it's stuffed with small pasta, marinara sauce, fresh basil, and two types of cheese.
Get Ree's Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan recipe.
Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers
There are so many variations of stuffed peppers, but this recipe is a total classic. And the best part is you can make it in advance, then bake off just before you're ready to serve.
Get Ree's Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers recipe.
Stuffed Zucchini
Zucchini can be so much more than a side dish. Here, it's packed with sausage, bell peppers, herbs, and cheese, which makes it the main event.
Get the Stuffed Zucchini recipe.
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
So often, spaghetti squash is treated as an alternative to spaghetti, thanks to its twirlable "noodles." Let's think outside of the box, shall we? Here, the halved squash is filled with a Southwestern-inspired combo of ground turkey, corn, and black beans.
Get the Stuffed Spaghetti Squash recipe.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
This isn't a stuffed vegetable recipe per se, but it's inspired by one of the most classic dishes—stuffed peppers. For this family-friendly dish, you'll combine diced bell peppers with ground beef, tomatoes, zucchini, rice, and herbs, then bake the whole thing off.
Get Ree's Stuffed Pepper Casserole recipe.
Stuffed Tomatoes
When tomatoes are at their peak in summer, think beyond salads and sandwiches. This Tex-Mex-inspired recipe features sausage, bell peppers, stuffing mix, and pepper jack cheese.
Get the Stuffed Tomatoes recipe.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ree's version of stuffed peppers includes a duo of cooked rice and ground beef for an all-in-one bite. Choose a few different colors of bell peppers for an eye-catching dish.
Get Ree's Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Acorn squash has a limited season, so when it's available in your local grocery store, it's worth stocking up on. One of the most classic preparations is squash stuffed with Italian sausage, mushrooms, rice, and Fontina cheese.
Get the Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe.
Beef Stroganoff Stuffed Peppers
Two old-fashioned dishes join forces for this cold weather favorite. A creamy combo of mushrooms, ground beef, and egg noodles are stuffed into colorful bell peppers, then baked until tender.
Get Ree's Beef Stroganoff Stuffed Peppers recipe.
Stuffed Butternut Squash
Everything about this dish just says fall. Whole butternut squash is halved and filled with breakfast sausage, cremini mushrooms, kale, brown rice, and plenty of cheese.
Get Ree's Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe.
Quinoa and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash
This vegetarian-friendly recipe has plenty of heft, thanks to a combination of fibrous quinoa, mushrooms, and almonds. Fresh rosemary and maple syrup add autumnal notes that just make sense.
Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms
Try saying that five times fast! These bite-sized shrooms are the ultimate starter for Thanksgiving dinner—or a brilliant way to utilize leftovers.
Get the Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms recipe.
Stuffed Artichokes
When artichokes are at their peak in spring, it's worth cooking with them every which way. Here, they're stuffed with lemony, garlicky breadcrumbs for a fantastic Italian-inspired starter or side.
Get the Stuffed Artichokes recipe.
Stuffed Mushrooms
When you think of stuffed vegetables, there's a good chance that this umami-packed bite is what you're picturing. Ree's take on this classic recipe features spicy pork sausage, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese for a savory, satisfying starter.
Get Ree's Stuffed Mushrooms recipe.
Stuffed Eggplant
There are so many possibilities of ingredients that you can combine for stuffed eggplant. This Moroccan-inspired version features ground beef, couscous, diced tomatoes, and plenty of warming spices.
Get the Stuffed Eggplant recipe.
Cheese-Stuffed Baby Peppers
With only three ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep work, this may just be the easiest stuffed pepper recipe ever.
Get Ree's Cheese-Stuffed Baby Peppers recipe.
Stuffed Cabbage
A staple in eastern European cuisine, this recipe for stuffed cabbage is a labor of love—but it's well worth the effort. Pro tip: start by blanching the cabbage leaves so that they're more tender and easier to work with.
Get the Stuffed Cabbage recipe.
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Up the ante on a classic Caprese salad with this hearty, vegetarian-friendly dish. Large mushroom caps are filled with juicy cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, and a drizzle of rich balsamic.
Get the Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms recipe.
Gemista (Greek Stuffed Vegetables)
This take on classic Greek recipe includes potatoes, which roast right alongside the tomatoes and bell peppers for a complete dinner with way less mess.
Get the Gemista (Greek Stuffed Vegetables) recipe at The Mediterranean Dish.
Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
Sure, you can bake stuffed peppers in the oven, but take advance of your air fryer. The result is a quick and easy version of this delicious dish that delivers extra-tender bell peppers.
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