These Halloween Stuffed Peppers are the perfect festive dish for your Halloween gatherings. They are easy to make, and you can have a scary good dinner ready in extra minutes!
Plus, making these peppers into little jack-o'-lanterns, monsters, and Frankenstein is a fun way to bring some spooky vibes to your Halloween dinner. They look so fun that even the picky eaters won't complain about eating their vegetables.
Jump to:
- What makes this recipe frightfully irresistible
- Ingredients to bring your peppers to life
- Ghastly good variations
- Creepily easy step-by-step instructions
- Equipment for creating monster peppers
- Questions from the cauldron: FAQ's
- Deb's spellbinding tips
- How to store leftovers
- More recipes to sink your teeth into
- Jack O Lantern Stuffed Peppers
What makes this recipe frightfully irresistible
You only need simple ingredients! The funny faces are perfect for a fun Halloween dinner. The kids can each carve their own pumpkin face on the peppers. How fun is that?
You can prep them ahead so you can spend more time trick-or-treating with your kids.
Ingredients to bring your peppers to life
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- Large bell peppers - use a variety of colors orange, red, yellow and green bell peppers.
- olive oil
- onion
- Ground beef - Swap out the ground beef or ground chicken or lean ground turkey. They will still turn out great!
- Canned diced tomatoes or if you'd prefer a little heat, use Rotel instead.
- tomato sauce
- orzo
- chicken stock
- dried Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
- shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
Ghastly good variations
- For additional flavor, you can add a minced garlic clove, a sprinkle of black pepper, or a dash of Worcestershire sauce to your meat mixture.
- Feel free to get creative with the type of cheese that you use, we like to use cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese but the options are endless.
- Do you like things spicy? You can add more heat to these peppers by mixing some red pepper flakes, chili powder, or even diced jalapenos into your meat mixture before you stuff the peppers.
Creepily easy step-by-step instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For complete directions, scroll down to the bottom.
- Preheat the oven.
- Wash peppers. Evenly slice the top of each pepper, set aside. Remove seed and membranes from inside peppers. Carve faces into each pepper.
- Saute the onions in olive oil. Cook for 2-3.
- Next, add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, orzo, chicken stock, and seasonings. Simmer uncovered on low for approximately 10-12 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of cheese.
- Carefully fill the carved peppers with the ground beef mixture, topping each pepper with remaining cheese.
- Place peppers and lids in the casserole dish, covered with foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Hey, if you want to catch all my videos, subscribe to my YouTube Channel. You'll be notified each time I share a new video!
Equipment for creating monster peppers
The following are affiliate links. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products! 🛍️
Questions from the cauldron: FAQ's
No, for this recipe I don't recommend boiling these peppers first as it will make them too soft and wrinkled to crave.
If your peppers are soggy most likely your meat mixture was too wet. Make sure to follow this recipe closely.
No, for this festive twist on traditional stuffed peppers, we are using tortilla chips instead of white rice.
Deb's spellbinding tips
Use a gentle hand when you stuff the peppers as the carved peppers faces can break easily.
- Use a sharp paring knife to cut the Frankenstein and jack o’lantern faces. A small sharp knife works best!
- Make sure that you look for fresh bell peppers in your grocery store. You want to ensure that they are firm on the outside and free of any blemishes.
How to store leftovers
Refrigerate - Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze - these stuffed peppers can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place cooled peppers in an airtight container and store them in the freezer until you are ready to reheat them.
Reheat - To reheat the peppers, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave individual servings for 1-2 minutes.
More recipes to sink your teeth into
While these peppers can be served as a whole meal, I like to turn them into a fun Halloween dinner by pairing them with Shrunken Head Halloween Potatoes and Halloween Garlic Bread. How fun is that?
Do you need more of a quick weeknight dinner before you take the kids out trick-or-treating? If so, then try these Halloween Hotdog Fingers. They are still spooky but so simple to make.
If you ask me nothing says Happy Halloween more than an adult beverage. And, I've got a list of over 25 Boozy Cocktails that are bound to add some fun to your Halloween night. If you are looking for more fun Halloween dinner ideas? If so, I've got a list of Easy Halloween Party Foods that kids always love.
Aren't these spooky and fun? Perfect for your Halloween party! Enjoy the Halloween Stuffed Peppers and leave a comment below, ok? Happy Halloween!
Jack O Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 6-8 large bell peppers orange and green
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce undrained
- ¾ cup orzo
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350o F
- Wash peppers. Using a sharp knife cut off the top of each pepper. Set tops aside. Remove seed and membranes from inside peppers. Be sure to clean out all of the seeds. Using a pairing knife cut the faces into each pepper.
- Over medium heat add oil to a large pan or dutch oven. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Next, add ground beef, cook another 4-5 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
- Return pan to stove, add tomatoes, tomato sauce, orzo, chicken stock, and seasonings. Simmer uncovered on low for approximately 10-12 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of cheese.
- Fill prepared peppers with the ground beef mixture, topping each pepper with additional cheese.
- Place peppers and lids in an oven safe casserole dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until peppers have softened.
Leave a Reply