A new fall spin on a household classic.
Stuffed peppers have always been one of those easy, reliable dinners in our house. But this time of year? We had to give them a little fall makeover.
These Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers are colorful red, yellow, and orange peppers carved with silly (or spooky) faces, then filled with a savory beef, onion, and rice mixture and topped with melty cheese. They’re festive, filling, and SO easy, which makes them perfect for a busy October weeknight or a fun dinner before trick-or-treating.
And the best part? Getting the kids to eat their veggies is a whole lot easier when the veggies have faces.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Dish
- They’re a fun, festive dinner that takes a family favorite and makes it feel like a holiday.
- They’re simple. Ground beef, onion, rotel, rice, and cheese. That’s it.
- The kids can help. Let them pick out the faces and help scoop the filling.
- Shortcut friendly. We used microwave rice to save time, but you can use any cooked rice.
- Easy to customize. Swap the protein, the seasoning, or the cheese to fit your family.
What You’ll Need
- Bell peppers: red, yellow, and orange for that colorful pumpkin patch look
- 2lbs Ground beef (I used 1lb for this recipe and saved 1lb of the mixture for taco night.)
- Onion, diced
- One can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis
- Seasoning for the beef: taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, or simply salt, pepper, and garlic powder all work
- Cooked rice: we used cilantro lime 90 second microwave rice, but you don’t have to
- Shredded cheese for topping
You’ll also need a small, sharp paring knife for carving the faces.
How to Make Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
- Prep and carve the peppers. Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out the seeds and ribs. Then carve the fronts to look like jack-o’-lanterns, with triangle eyes, and a big toothy grin. Keep the cutouts on the smaller side so the filling stays inside.
- Cook the filling. Dice your onion and add it to a pan with the ground beef and your seasoning. Cook until the beef is browned and the onions are soft, then drain any extra grease.
- Add the can of Rotel and stir into mixture.
- Add the rice. Stir the cooked rice into the meat mixture until everything is combined.
- Stuff the peppers. Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish and scoop the mixture inside, packing it in gently.
- Top with cheese and bake. Sprinkle cheese on top and place in a pan, with 1/4 inch of water, cover with foil and bake for 40min or until the peppers are tender.
- Take the foil off and broil for 4min until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy! Set the pepper tops back on as little lids for an extra cute jack-o’-lantern touch.
Tips and Easy Swaps
- Pick peppers that stand up. Peppers with a flat bottom stay upright in the pan. If one wobbles, trim a thin slice off the bottom, just not so much that you cut a hole.
- Like softer peppers? Bake the carved, empty peppers for about 10 minutes before stuffing them.
- Switch up the protein. Ground turkey, Italian sausage, or chicken work great too.
- Add more veggies. Corn, black beans, or diced tomatoes are easy mix-ins.
- Try a different cheese. Cheddar, Mexican blend, mozzarella, or pepper jack are all delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time? Yes. Make the filling and carve the peppers up to a day ahead and store them separately in the fridge. Stuff, top with cheese, and bake when you’re ready, adding a few extra minutes since they’ll be going in cold.
Do I need to cook the rice first? Yes. The rice should be cooked before you mix it into the filling. Microwave rice makes this super quick.
How do I store leftovers? Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheat in the microwave or oven until heated through.
Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Serves 6 · Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: about 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers (a mix of red, yellow, and orange)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- Can of Rotel Original
- Seasoning of choice (about 1 packet taco seasoning or 2 tsp of your favorite blend)
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cut the tops off the peppers, remove the seeds and ribs, and carve jack-o’-lantern faces into the fronts.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, diced onion, and seasoning until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir the can of Rotel into the meat mixture.
- Stir the cooked rice into the meat mixture.
- Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish and fill each one with the beef and rice mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
- Remove the foil, top with cheese, and broil for another 4 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
More Easy Fall Dinner Ideas
Looking for more cozy, family-friendly recipes this season? Try these next:
- Crockpot Pumpkin Chili with Italian Sausage and Beef: A cozy, fall-flavored chili that does all the work in the slow cooker.
- Easy No Stress Pizza Bagel Bites: A build-your-own dinner ready in about 15 minutes.
- Soup Season: Creamy Tortellini Soup: Rich, cozy, and made in one pot.
- Soup Season: Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup: All your favorite enchilada flavors in a hands-off, set-it-and-forget-it soup.
- Soup Season: Crockpot Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese: The ultimate cozy combo, with a creamy tomato soup made from real tomatoes.
A Fun Fall Dinner the Whole Family Will Love
These Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers are proof that a few little faces can turn a regular weeknight dinner into a fall memory. They’re simple, hearty, and guaranteed to get a few giggles around the table.
If you make them, I’d love to see your jack-o’-lantern faces! Tag me on Instagram and show me your spookiest (or silliest) pepper.
Easy & Fun Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- • 6 bell peppers (a mix of red, yellow, and orange)
- • 1 lb ground beef
- • 1 small onion, diced
- • Seasoning of choice (about 1 packet taco seasoning or 2 tsp of your favorite blend)
- • 2 cups cooked rice
- • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cut the tops off the peppers, remove the seeds and ribs, and carve jack-o'-lantern faces into the fronts.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, diced onion, and seasoning until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir the can of Rotel into the meat mixture.
- Stir the cooked rice into the meat mixture.
- Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish and fill each one with the beef and rice mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
- Remove the foil, top with cheese, and broil for another 4 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
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