Description
Create festive Halloween jack-o’-lantern stuffed peppers with customizable meat or vegetarian fillings, topped with melty cheese. This easy recipe is perfect for a fun and family-friendly October dinner.
Ingredients
- 6 large orange bell peppers
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked long-grain rice (or brown rice)
- 1 cup diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning or 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil for sautéing
- Optional add-ins: 3/4 cup black beans, 1/2 cup corn, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Slice off the tops of the bell peppers, about 1 inch below the stem. Remove the seeds and ribs from the inside. Carve simple jack-o’-lantern faces into each pepper.
- Place the carved peppers upright in a snug baking dish. Pre-bake them for 8–10 minutes to soften slightly.
- While peppers pre-bake, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté until softened.
- Add the ground beef or turkey to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Drain off any excess fat.
- Stir in the drained diced tomatoes, tomato paste, your chosen seasoning (Italian or taco), salt, black pepper, and optional red chili flakes. Simmer for 3–4 minutes to allow flavors to meld and excess moisture to reduce.
- Fold in the cooked rice and any optional add-ins like black beans or corn. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in half of the shredded cheese.
- Carefully stuff each pre-baked pepper with the filling, filling them up to the rim but avoid packing too tightly. Place the pepper tops (lids) back on.
- Bake the stuffed peppers for 15–20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese filling is melted and bubbly.
- For an extra cheesy topping, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the peppers during the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Let the Halloween stuffed peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.
Notes
- Carve simple, bold shapes for the faces to prevent the peppers from splitting during baking.
- For a vegetarian version of these Halloween stuffed peppers, omit the meat and add extra black beans and brown rice to the filling.
- Ensure you drain the diced tomatoes well to prevent a soggy filling in your festive stuffed peppers.
- Use a snug baking dish to help the peppers stand upright, maintaining their jack-o’-lantern shape.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
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