Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Dinner that doubles as Halloween decor! 🎃 These Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers are orange bell peppers carved with the cutest spooky faces and stuffed with savory beef and rice.
The filling is ground beef browned with onion and garlic, then simmered with diced tomatoes, cooked rice and Italian seasoning. A blanket of mozzarella goes on top and bakes until it’s golden and bubbly.
It’s a regular weeknight dinner that turns into a Halloween memory for the kids.
Why You’ll Love It
- Too cute to skip. Every pepper gets its own little jack-o’-lantern face.
- A real dinner. Beef, rice and tomatoes make it hearty and filling.
- Simple ingredients. Nothing fancy, just pantry and fridge basics.
- Feeds the family. This one serves 6.
- Kids love helping. Let them pick silly or scary faces.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Orange bell peppers: Medium ones are easy to carve and stand up nicely.
- Ground beef, onion and garlic: Browned together for a savory filling.
- Cooked white rice: Have it cooked and ready before you start.
- Diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning: Drain the tomatoes so the filling isn’t watery.
- Shredded mozzarella: Sprinkled on top and baked until golden.
You’ll find the exact amounts and steps in the printable recipe card below.
How to Make It
Preheat your oven, cut the tops off the peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Then grab a small paring knife and carve triangle eyes and a jagged mouth into each one, just like a little pumpkin. Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic in a large skillet and drain off the extra fat. Stir in the diced tomatoes, cooked rice, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and let it simmer a few minutes. Spoon the filling into the carved peppers, stand them up in a baking dish, sprinkle mozzarella over each one, and bake until the peppers are tender and the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Tips for the Best Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
- Carve with a small paring knife. Simple triangle eyes and a jagged mouth are all you need.
- Drain the fat. Drain the beef after browning so the filling isn’t greasy.
- Stand them upright. Set the peppers snug in the baking dish so they don’t tip over.
- Cook the rice ahead. Leftover rice works great here.
- Bake until tender. The peppers should be soft and the cheese bubbly.
Which face would you carve, silly or scary? 🎃
Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the tops off the peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Use a small paring knife to carve triangle eyes and a jagged mouth into each pepper like a jack-o’-lantern.
- Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 6–8 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off excess fat.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, cooked rice, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Spoon the filling into the carved peppers and set them upright in a baking dish.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top of each pepper. Bake 25–30 minutes until the peppers are tender and the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Notes
- Carve triangle eyes and a jagged mouth into each pepper with a small paring knife.
- Use cooked white rice in the filling.
