I’m taking dinner to the next level of easy with this Slow Cooker Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers and Mashed Potatoes. It’s a complete meal the whole family will love with super easy prep and clean up.
I married the idea of my Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes with my Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers and BAM! A new and delicious dinner idea was born.
These slow cooker stuffed peppers and mashed potatoes all made in one pot? Sign me up!
Crock Pot Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers with Mashed Potatoes
A game changer in the slow cooking game. A main dish and a side made at the same time! No need to dirty up more dishes to cook a side dish.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need in order to whip up Slow Cooker Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers and Mashed Potatoes. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.
- Bell Peppers – these hold up well in the slow cooker
- Ground Beef – any ground meat should work well as a substitute
- Onion
- Bread Crumbs – can be substituted with crushed crackers
- Ketchup – for a tang of flavor
- Egg – Helps bind together the meatloaf
- Worcestershire Sauce – for flavor
- Garlic Powder
- Russet Potatoes – these can be substituted with yukon gold potatoes
- Sour Cream – added for creaminess to the mashed potatoes
- Butter – cream or milk can be substituted (dairy-free options may change the texture slightly)
How To Make Stuffed Peppers in a Slow Cooker
It’s so easy to get this meal going early in the day. That way when the slow cooker finishes up, there is very minimal effort to get dinner plated and served!
Preparing the Peppers
Cut open the tops of the peppers and empty out the seeds. Discard the tops of the peppers as well.
Mix Together the Meatloaf
In a medium sized bowl mix together the ingredients for the meatloaf. Once it is all mixed together set aside the bowl.
Preparing the Potatoes
Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the cut potatoes. You’ll want to cut them into similar sized cubes to ensure that they cook evenly. Pour in the water and seasonings.
Start the Slow Cooker
Cook the contents on HIGH for 3-4 hours OR cook on LOW for 6-7 hours. This helps for when you are preparing at different times of the day.
Removing the Peppers
When the slow cooker is finished, use tongs to remove the peppers and carefully tip over to allow any fat to drain out and discard. If you desire, top each pepper with some more ketchup and place in your broiler for an additional 2-3 minutes.
That last step is optional, but I highly recommend it!
Mashing the potatoes
Without draining any remaining liquid in the pot, mash the potatoes right in the crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients of sour cream and butter and finish mashing it all together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prepare this in a Pressure Cooker?
No, you should NOT make this in your Instant Pot. The peppers are too delicate to withstand the amount of time the potatoes and meat need to cook under pressure.
What size slow cooker should I use?
H
I’m using an 8 quart slow cooker to make this recipe. I made 4 peppers with 1 pound of ground beef, but could easily fit a fifth pepper in my slow cooker by adding an additional 1/4 pound beef to the recipe.
Where does the fat from the beef go?
D
The ground beef will release fat when cooked that is trapped inside each bell pepper. After cooking, simply use some tongs and drain the fat before topping with ketchup.
PRO TIP: Feel free to top each pepper with cheese when done cooking for an added level of deliciousness.
One of my favorite parts about this recipe is that the potatoes act like a barrier for the peppers and also create a delicious side dish at the same time!
The peppers are the perfect capsule for the deliciously tender meatloaf. Soft and tender peppers filled with juicy and plump meatloaf, served alongside a bed of fluffy mashed potoates.
My kids and I could not get enough of this comforting meal.
More Recipes Like This
This recipe is so simple! Take a look at similar recipes that are just a easy and delicious.
- Easy Stuffed Peppers – A simple way to make stuffed peppers
- Ground Beef Stuffed Pepper Skillet – Turn the classic stuffed peppers into a one pan dinner!
- The Best Meatloaf Recipe – a true classic with hundreds of rave reviews!
- Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes – Try this similar recipe in the instant pot
A complete meal in one pot… doesn’t get much better than that!
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Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder, dried parsley, salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 to 3 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Cut off the tops of the bell peppers and remove any seeds inside, discard tops and seeds.
- In a medium bowl combine the ground beef, diced onion, breadcrumbs, ketchup, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt and black pepper. Mix until combined then divide mixture between bell peppers. Set aside.
- Line the bottom of your slow cooker with the cubed potatoes (make sure it’s an even layer), then add the 1/2 cup water and sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp garlic powder and onion powder. Place the stuffed peppers on top of the potatoes and cover with the lid. Cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
- The potatoes will be done when they are fork tender. Use tongs to remove the peppers and carefully tip over to allow any fat to drain out and discard. If desired, place the stuffed peppers in a small baking dish and top with ketchup and pop under your broiler for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile mash the potatoes (no need to drain the cooking liquid). Add the sour cream and butter and continue to mash until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Helpful Products to Make This Recipe:
Fruit Pizza Recipe
Ken
it it twp. tsp each of the garlic powder, dried parsley, salt?
SUSAN
Great Recipe!! Love it is a one pot meal and so easy to put together. Love the meat loaf recipe and adding the potatoes is such a smart idea. I did not have the problems others mentioned about the potatoes not being cooked, but I did make sure I cubed the potatoes and not halved or quartered them.This is Delicious and is definitely in our meal rotation now.
Madison Rad
Just tried this today- absolutely loved it! I did double the spices, and added fresh garlic to the potatoes to cook. Husband is pretty picky and he asked if we could have it again next week! I didn’t have any issues with the potatoes like some of the other comments, but I did cook in my all-clad slow cooker on high. Definitely a winner for us!
THANK YOU!
Gina
My crock pot is 8 qts. Would it be to large for this recipe.
Shawn
Nope! You should be great!
Jake
Wow, truly remarkable idea! I love the idea of a one pot meal, and am a huge fan of meatloaf and stuffed peppers, so I’ll definitely be trying this soon!
Chelsea Fentress
So I made this recipe a couple times, once exactly as written and and twice with a few tweaks. It was okay, but a little bland in my opinion. The second time I made it, I doubled the spices and tripled the salt and it was much better. I also made it a 3rd time using crushed, ranch flavored croutons in place of bread crumbs and doubles salt only and OMG delicious twist. Thanks for the recipe, it’s been fun/easy to tweak and my 3 year old thinks it’s cool to eat stuffed things so it works out good next time I may try a dry ranch packet in place of spices. I’ll let you know how it goes
Anna
I cannot wait to try this out! 🙂 I will cook it tonight for my hubby and I 🙂
Shawn
Hope you two enjoyed it Anna!
Rhonda
I prepared this recipe for dinner tonight. Smells were wafting about 2 hours in–oh my! I used red and yellow potatoes because they are what I had on hand–I also diced them smaller than 1 inch. There are little extra brown bits around the outer edge of my pot that are delightful. I stirred them well before mashing, and made brown gravy for the meal. This is a winner meal, and one that I will use over and over! Thank you Shawn!
Shawn
Hi Rhonda, That’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying the recipe.
HP
Love the recipe over all. This is now the only meatloaf recipe we use in the house. Our one beef is with the potatoes. I did the 1” cubes the first go round and did 1/4” this time. Still have to boil them on the stove after 7 hours on low in the slow cooker. I use all of the remaining liquid then add water to cover them before boiling them. They’re extra tasty with the liquid from the crock pot vs just water.
Linda Leone
This is genius! I can’t wait to try this! I like the idea of stuffed peppers, but never liked the beef rice combo. This is perfect answer! I enjoy so many of your recipes, thanks so much! I especially like your tips and comments.
Mandy
What size slow cooker do you use for this?
Shawn
My slow cooker is an 8 quart size, but you could probably get away with using a smaller one too.
Micheal Ronel
Great idea to cook beef with mashed potatoes. Love this recipe, will try it soon.
Shawn
Hope you enjoy it Micheal!
Carol Vansalisbury
This s sounds delish, can t wait to try.
Sheila
This sounds delicious and easy. Can you substitute ground turkey? Do the times need to be adjusted?
Shawn
Yes, you can use ground turkey in place of the beef. No time changes!
Martha in KS
As a young bride (pre-microwave days) I made stuffed peppers & put them in the crockpot and set baking potatoes on top. The potatoes & peppers were both cooked when I got home from work.
Bettye
You said you could not do this with the instant pot – but the instant pot has a slow cooker function button. Can’t that be used? I hope so because I got rid of my slow cooker when I bought the Instant pot.
Thank you, this looks delicious.
Shawn
Yes, you can still use the slow cooker function of the instant pot. Just not the pressure cooking function.
Bettye
Thanks!
Pam
Any chance cauliflower can be used in place of the potatoes to make this a little healthier?
Shawn
I’m sure that would work! I haven’t tried it, so if you do, let us know!
Mary Duncan
Why didn’t I think of cooking the peppers in a slow cooker. Thanks for the idea, Ruth!
Shawn
Hope you enjoy them!