Description
Halloween jack-o’-lantern stuffed peppers with customizable beef, turkey, or vegetarian fillings, melty cheese, and carved faces for a festive, family-friendly 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, plus 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
1 tbsp olive oil for sautéing
Optional add-ins: 3/4 cup black beans, 1/2 cup corn, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice 1 inch below pepper stems, remove seeds and ribs, and carve simple jack-o’-lantern faces.
2. Pre-bake empty carved peppers upright in a snug dish for 8–10 minutes to soften slightly.
3. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add beef or turkey; cook until browned. Drain.
4. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, seasoning, salt, pepper, and chili flakes; simmer 3–4 minutes to reduce.
5. Fold in cooked rice and optional black beans or corn. Remove from heat; stir in half the cheese.
6. Stuff peppers to the rim without packing too tightly. Set lids on top.
7. Bake 15–20 minutes until peppers are tender and cheese is melted.
8. Top with remaining cheese for last 5 minutes. Rest 5 minutes; garnish with cilantro.
Notes
Carve simple, bold shapes to prevent splits during baking.
For vegetarian, skip meat and add extra black beans and brown rice.
Drain tomatoes well to avoid soggy fillings.
Stand peppers in a snug baking dish so faces keep shape.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 7
- Sodium: 620
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 22
- Cholesterol: 70