Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Halloween Stuffed Peppers (Jack-O-Lantern)
These little pepper faces are allowed to look goofy. Dinner is more fun when a jack-o'-lantern is staring back at you, especially with a generous scoop of savory filling inside.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Beef · Turkey · Beans & lentils
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Carve before filling
Empty the peppers and cut their faces while they are still hollow; then stand them in the baking dish.
2. Soften the onion first
Let the diced onion turn translucent before adding the meat and garlic. It gets a head start in the skillet.
3. Watch the filling settle
Cook the rice mixture until it begins absorbing the tomato sauce, then take the skillet off the heat.
Get to know the ingredients
Orange bell peppers
Use the medium orange peppers listed here, with the tops removed and the ribs and seeds cleared out.
Rice goes in cooked
Both the regular rice and the cauliflower rice option are already cooked before they join the filling.
Drain the black beans
Rinse and drain the canned beans before adding them, so they are ready to stir into the tomato mixture.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Halloween Stuffed Peppers (Jack-O-Lantern)
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Let the cheese melt
Bake with water in the bottom of the dish until the cheese melts and the peppers just begin to soften.
A little more help as you go
Break up the meat
Use the wooden spoon or rubber spatula to separate the ground meat as it browns, before the rice goes in.
Share the cheese evenly
Give each filled pepper its share of shredded cheddar so every jack-o'-lantern has a cheesy top.
A few questions you might have
Can I use ground chicken instead of turkey?
Yes. Ground chicken and ground beef are both listed alternatives; brown the chosen meat with the garlic as directed.
Should I cover the dish in the oven?
The peppers bake uncovered. Pour the listed water into the bottom of the dish before putting it in the oven.
Do these peppers need to become completely soft?
The stated finish is when they begin to soften and the cheese has melted. They do not need a long roast.
Does cauliflower rice behave differently in the filling?
The directions say it absorbs the sauce faster, so watch the mixture rather than waiting for the full window automatically.
What knife do I use for the faces?
A small paring knife is specified for cutting the jack-o'-lantern shapes into one side of each hollowed pepper.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: wholesomeyum.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
