Description
Celebrate Halloween with these festive Jack O’Lantern Stuffed Peppers, featuring ground beef or turkey mixed with rice, tomatoes, and spices, all carved into fun pumpkin faces and baked until tender and cheesy.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Peppers:
- 6 large orange bell peppers
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
For Assembly:
- Small sharp knife for carving
- Extra cheese for topping
Instructions
- Prepare peppers: Cut the tops off the orange bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes from inside. Using a small sharp knife, carefully carve jack-o’-lantern faces into one side of each pepper. Set the carved peppers aside.
- Cook rice: If not already done, prepare 1 cup of white rice according to package instructions. Once cooked, set the rice aside.
- Brown meat: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef or turkey and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
- Add vegetables: Add the diced onion to the browned meat and cook until softened, approximately 4 minutes. Then add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Combine filling: Stir in the cooked rice, drained diced tomatoes, half of the shredded cheddar cheese, half of the tomato sauce, dried oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly and cook together for 2-3 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Stuff peppers: Stand the carved peppers upright in a baking dish. If needed, trim the bottoms slightly for stability so they stand straight. Fill each pepper generously with the meat and rice mixture, then top with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Add sauce: Pour the remaining tomato sauce around the peppers in the baking dish. Add 1/2 cup of water to the dish to help create steam during baking.
- Cover and bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
- Final touches: Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking to allow the cheese on top to brown lightly and become bubbly. The carved faces should be clearly visible and the cheese melted.
- Serve: Let the stuffed peppers cool for 5 minutes after baking. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with the carved faces facing outwards to showcase the festive Jack O’Lantern design.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey with ground beef or a plant-based alternative for a vegetarian variation.
- If you prefer less spice, reduce the amount of paprika and cumin.
- Use a sharp paring knife for the carving to achieve clean and detailed faces on the peppers.
- The water added in the baking dish helps steam the peppers, keeping them moist and tender during baking.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
