These Halloween Stuffed Peppers are a fun and easy dinner the whole family will love! Filled with ground beef, rice, diced tomatoes with green chilies, and seasonings, they’re a delicious way to celebrate the spooky season.
With Halloween just around the corner, I decided to give my classic stuffed peppers recipe a festive twist by turning them into Jack O’Lantern and Frankensteins!
All you need are some orange and green bell peppers, a few simple ingredients for the filling, and a little creativity.
They’re perfect for a quick meal before trick-or-treating or serving at a Halloween party. Pair them with your favorite side dishes and a spooky dessert for a complete meal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Budget friendly: Made with affordable ingredients that can feed the whole family.
- Easy to customize: Switch up the meat, seasonings, or fillings to make your own.
- A fun way to eat vegetables: Even picky eaters might be more willing to try a pepper with a carved out face.
- Easy to make ahead: Prep everything earlier in the day so you’re not rushing to get dinner on the table.
Halloween Stuffed Pepper Ingredients
- Orange and Green Bell Peppers: Choose peppers large enough to stuff and stand upright.
- Ground Beef: I used 80/20 lean ground beef for this recipe but you can use any other variety, ground turkey or ground chicken just as well.
- Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies: Adds flavor and a little kick to the filling. Use mild or spicy.
- Taco Seasoning: Gives the beef and rice mixture a Tex-Mex flavor. Store-bought or homemade taco seasoning both work.
- Rice: Use cooked white or brown rice to make the filling hearty and filling. Leftover rice also works great.
- Shredded Cheese: Cheddar, Mexican blend, or Monterey Jack cheese melts perfectly over the filling.
How to Make Halloween Stuffed Peppers
Step 1: Prepare the Peppers
Preheat your oven to 375℉. Wash and dry the bell peppers. Carefully slice off the tops (straight line for the Jack O’Lanterns and zigzag for the Frankensteins) and set them aside. Remove the seeds and membranes from the inside.
Step 2: Carve the Faces
Using a small, pairing knife, carefully carve Jack O’Lantern faces into the orange peppers and Frankenstein faces into the green peppers. You can make them silly, spooky, or a little of both!
Step 3: Cook the Ground Beef
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
Step 4: Make the Filling
Add diced tomatoes with green chilies, taco seasoning, and cook rice to cooked ground beef. Mix everything together and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Step 5: Stuff the Peppers
Place the carved peppers upright in a baking dish. Spoon the beef and rice mixture into each pepper, filling them to the top. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and add the tops.
Step 6: Bake
Add a little water to the bottom of the baking dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the peppers are tender. Remove the foil during the last 5 minutes to let the cheese melt and get bubbly.
Serve and Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Make them spicier: Add diced jalapeños or extra chili powder for a little heat.
- Make them vegetarian: Skip the meat and use black beans instead.
- Switch up the rice: Try brown rice, cauliflower rice, or Mexican rice for a different flavor.
- Add more veggies: Mix in corn, onions or finely chopped zucchini for extra vegetables.
Helpful Tips
- Choose the right peppers: Look for large, firm bell peppers with a sturdy bottom so they stand upright in the baking dish.
- Keep the faces simple: Small triangles for eyes and nose and a zigzag mouth for Jack O’Lanterns and rectangle with middle point for eyes, triangle for nose and line for mouth.
- Don’t cut too much: Avoid carving large openings, or the filling may spill out or the pepper may fall apart while baking.
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Allow the stuffed peppers to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Place completely cooled stuffed peppers in a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 2 months for best quality. Keep in mind that the peppers may become softer after thawing.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers in the microwave until heated through or cover with foil and bake at 350℉ until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
The trick is to keep the eyes, nose and mouth small and avoid overstuffing the peppers.
These are great on their own but you can serve Bone Breadsticks for a side and Halloween Lush for dessert.
Yes, you can! Place the stuffed peppers in the air fryer basket and cook at 350℉ for 12-15 minutes or until heated through. Then, sprinkle the cheese and cook for a few more minutes.
Recipe
Halloween Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 5 large bell peppers, orange and green
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar, Monterey Jack, or your choice
- Fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375℉. Wash and dry the bell peppers. Carefully slice off the tops (straight line for the Jack O'Lanterns and zigzag for the Frankensteins) and set them aside. Remove the seeds and membranes from the inside.
- Using a small, pairing knife, carefully carve Jack O’Lantern faces into the orange peppers and Frankenstein faces into the green peppers. You can make them silly, spooky, or a little of both!
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- Add diced tomatoes with green chilies, taco seasoning, and cook rice to cooked ground beef. Mix everything together and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Place the carved peppers upright in a baking dish. Spoon the beef and rice mixture into each pepper, filling them to the top. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and add the tops.
- Add a little water to the bottom of the baking dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the peppers are tender. Remove the foil during the last 5 minutes to let the cheese melt and get bubbly.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Allow the stuffed peppers to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Place completely cooled stuffed peppers in a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 2 months for best quality. Keep in mind that the peppers may become softer after thawing.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers in the microwave until heated through or cover with foil and bake at 350℉ until hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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