Jack-o'-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

Orange bell peppers stuffed with a tasty meat, cheese, and rice mixture look just like scary little jack-o'-lanterns in this fun main dish.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 613 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 pinches cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 large orange bell peppers
• 2 cups seasoned tomato sauce, warmed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Oil a baking dish with olive oil.

Step 2

Use a small knife to cut eyes, nose, and mouth into the flattest side of each pepper, just like a jack-o'-lantern. Cut around the seedpods and remove the tops, trimming and discarding any seeds from under the stems. Trim the white membrane from the inside of each pepper and shake out any seeds. Place in the prepared baking dish.

Step 3

Mix together ground beef, salt, pepper, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, green onions, melted butter, ketchup, Cheddar cheese, and rice in a bowl until well combined.

Step 4

Stuff mixture evenly into peppers and cover with the pepper tops. Wrap the baking dish loosely with foil and place on a sheet pan.

Step 5

Bake in the upper center of the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue baking until peppers are tender and ground beef is cooked through, 10 to 15 more minutes.

Step 6

Place stuffed peppers on a few tablespoons of warm tomato sauce. Serve immediately with more sauce on the side.