Halloween Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

Looking for a Halloween meal that’s more treat than trick? These Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Bell Peppers are the ultimate savory solution for your holiday feast. Forget plain old dinner—this recipe transforms simple ingredients into a grinning, edible masterpiece. The robust filling, made with ground beef, aromatic vegetables, and a tangy blend of chili and mustard sauces, is packed inside peppers carved with silly or scary faces. As they bake, the flavors meld together, and the peppers soften into a perfect, edible bowl, making for a memorable and satisfying meal that celebrates the spirit of the season.

Ingredients

• 6 orange bell peppers
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 4 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup chili sauce
• ¼ cup prepared yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Step-by-step instructions for making the recipe

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 11×17-inch baking dish or a similar-sized casserole dish with cooking spray or a light coating of oil. This prevents any sticking and makes for easier cleanup.
2. In a large mixing bowl, lightly mix together the ground beef, egg, cubed whole wheat bread, chopped onion, diced tomato, minced garlic, chili sauce, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Use your hands or a fork to combine, but be careful not to overmix, as this can make the beef filling tough.
3. Wash the orange bell peppers thoroughly. Using a small, sharp paring knife, carefully carve jack-o’-lantern faces into one side of each pepper. Classic triangle eyes and noses with a pointy-toothed smile work best for both effect and structural integrity.
4. Slice off the very top of each pepper (stem included) to create a lid. Reach inside each pepper to scoop out and discard all the seeds and the white core, creating a hollow cavity for the stuffing.
5. Stuff the beef mixture lightly into the carved peppers. Do not pack the filling too tightly, as it needs room to expand as it cooks. Place the stuffed peppers upright in the prepared baking dish, leaning them against each other for support to prevent them from falling over during baking.
6. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 1 hour. The peppers are done when they are tender and slightly wrinkled, and the internal temperature of the beef stuffing has reached 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). The filling should be cooked through and juicy.
7. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. Let the peppers rest in the dish for about 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to be reabsorbed, making them easier to handle and even more flavorful.

Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Bell Peppers

These Halloween-themed stuffed peppers are delicious. They are a stuffed bell pepper recipe with a festive twist, featuring a flavorful beef stuffing made with whole wheat bread instead of rice.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6 stuffed peppers

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 266

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

Main Ingredients

• 6 orange bell peppers
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 4 slices whole wheat bread cubed
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 small tomato diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Equipment

• 11×17-inch Baking Dish
• Paring Knife
• Mixing Bowl

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 11×17-inch baking dish.
2. Lightly mix together ground beef, egg, bread cubes, onion, tomato, garlic, chili sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
   1 pound ground beef, 1 egg, 4 slices whole wheat bread, 1 small onion, 1 small tomato, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup chili sauce, 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
3. Wash peppers, and cut jack-o’-lantern faces into peppers with a sharp paring knife, making triangle eyes and noses, and pointy-teeth smiles.
   6 orange bell peppers
4. Slice off tops of peppers, and scoop out seeds and cores.
   6 orange bell peppers
5. Stuff peppers lightly with beef stuffing, and place them into the prepared baking dish so they lean against each other.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until peppers are tender and the stuffing is cooked through and juicy, about 1 hour.

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