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Easy Jack-o-Lantern Stuffed Peppers: A Perfect Halloween Dinner

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These Easy Jack-o-Lantern Stuffed Peppers are a fun and festive Halloween dinner that comes together in under an hour. Bell peppers are carved into grinning faces, stuffed with a savory beef and rice filling, and baked with melted cheese for a delicious and adorable meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large orange bell peppers
  • 1 pound ground beef (85/20)
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  2. Wash the orange bell peppers and pat them dry. Cut the top off each pepper about 1/2 inch from the stem. Remove the seeds and membranes from inside each pepper.
  3. Carefully lower the peppers into the boiling water using a slotted spoon. Boil for 3 minutes exactly. Remove and place upside down on a paper towel to drain and cool slightly.
  4. While the peppers are cooling, carve faces into each pepper using a paring knife. Cut triangle eyes, a little nose, and a smiling or scary mouth. Cut all the way through the pepper skin but not so deep that you create a hole in the back.
  5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.
  6. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
  7. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cooked rice, tomato sauce, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika (if using), salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes so the flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  8. Place the carved peppers upright in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Divide the filling evenly among the four peppers, packing it in gently but firmly.
  9. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the tops of the stuffed peppers. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the peppers are tender when pierced with a fork.
  11. Remove from the oven and let the peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don’t skip the blanching step—it ensures the peppers come out tender, not crunchy. Carve with confidence; the pepper skin is forgiving. If your peppers wobble in the baking dish, trim a thin slice off the bottom to make them flat. The filling actually improves after a day in the fridge.

Nutrition

Keywords: stuffed peppers, jack-o-lantern, Halloween dinner, bell peppers, ground beef, easy dinner, festive

Find it online: https://daintydine.com/easy-jack-o-lantern-stuffed-peppers-a-perfect-halloween-dinner/