Sink your teeth into these spooktacular Halloween Jack O' Lantern Stuffed Peppers! Filled with mince, rice and crunchy veg all wrapped in a yummy tomato sauce. The kids will love this Halloween treat!
Serve these Halloween jack o'lantern stuffed peppers alongside some jack o'lantern jam hand tarts, spooky sausage mummies and gluten-free Halloween cookies to create a creepy buffet display.
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For even more ideas check out these 15 allergy friendly spooky halloween treats.
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🥘 Ingredients You Will Need
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you will need to make these Halloween stuffed peppers. They are also free from the top 14 allergens in the UK.
✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋
- Peppers - Use a mixture of red, yellow and orange bell peppers. Green peppers can be a little bitter so I would avoid them.
- Rice - For a speedy and easy option, mix in some microwave rice with the minced meat. But remember, you can't reheat microwave rice, so if you're not serving right away, you can either add the rice just before serving or cook regular rice, which you can reheat safely.
- Tinned Chopped Tomatoes - These are used to create a tomatoey sauce for the mince.
- Mince - I have used ground beef mince, but for a lighter option, you could substitute this for a chicken or turkey mince.
- Aromatics - Onion & garlic form the base of the sauce. Use either fresh or the ready-diced frozen variety.
- Sweetcorn - Think of these as the jack o' lantern's teeth that have fallen out! It's a fun way to sneak some veggies into the meal for picky eaters. Use up any leftover sweetcorn to make these egg-free courgette & sweetcorn fritters.
- Dried Herbs - I have used dried oregano and basil for ease, but feel free to use fresh herbs if you have them.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
⚡ Variations
- Make It Veggie/Vegan: Transform this into a delicious vegetarian or vegan dish by substituting the minced meat with vegan mince. You can also boost the protein content by throwing in kidney beans or any other bean you fancy.
- Give It A Cheesy Twist: Sprinkle some dairy-free cheese over the mince (or regular cheese if you are not dairy-free!) once it has been stuffed into the pepper, then pop it in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese gets all melty & gooey with the mince mixture.
✏️ How To Make Halloween Stuffed Peppers
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
Step 1: Slice the tops off the bell peppers, but don't get rid of them as you will need them for the recipe. Using a teaspoon carefully scoop any seeds or membranes from the pepper.
Step 2: Using a sharp paring knife, carve out a pumpkin face on the side of each pepper, Feel free to get as creative as you like! (photo 1)
Step 3: Next, arrange the peppers snugly in an ovenproof dish, and let them cook in a hot oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. You want them to soften up just enough to hold the delicious filling.
Note: If you are using standard rice, boil it now in a separate saucepan according to the packet instructions. If you are using microwave rice, skip this step.
Step 4: While the peppers are in the oven, it's time to prepare the filling. In a good-sized saucepan, start by frying up the ground meat over medium heat for roughly 5 minutes, letting it brown nicely. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and garlic, then add them to the pan with the meat.
Depending on how much fat is in your meat, you might need to drain off any excess fat before adding the onion and garlic. Stir regularly and let them cook together for an additional 3 minutes until the onion and garlic have started to soften. (photo 2)
Step 5: Add the canned tomatoes, sweetcorn, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to the saucepan. Give it a good stir, reduce the heat, and let it all simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the flavours to all come together. (photo 3)
Step 6: If you are using normal rice, drain it when it's cooked. If you are using microwave rice, warm it up according to the packet instructions, then add it to the filling mixture and give everything a good stir until the rice and mince are fully combined. (photo 4)
Step 7: Remove the peppers from the oven and using a spoon, generously stuff their empty cavities with the meat and rice mix. Don't hold back - press it down with the spoon to ensure they're fully stuffed.
Step 8:Place the pepper tops back onto the peppers and serve them right away!
💡 Laurens Top Tips
- 🌟 Carve carefully: Use a small paring knife to cut the pumpkin faces into the peppers.
- 🌟 Stop the wobble: If the peppers won't stay put, trim a tiny bit from the bottom - just don't overdo it or the filling might spill out!
- 🌟 Cheesy topping: Sprinkle over some dairy-free cheese and pop the peppers back in the oven for 5-10 minutes until it's melted nicely over the mince mixture.
- 🌟 Keep them upright: Bake the peppers in a narrow dish, snug together, so they don't fall over when cooking.
- 🌟 Leftover filling: If your peppers aren't big enough for all the mixture, freeze the rest for another day - it's tasty enough to enjoy as a full meal on its own!
- 🌟 Using microwave rice? It can't be reheated, so only mix through what you're eating straight away. Keep any extra mince mixture separate - it'll store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
📖 More Recipes Using Bell Peppers..
Check out these other delicious recipes using bell peppers!
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📖 Recipe
Halloween Jack O'Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 medium bell peppers red, orange and yellow
- 250 g ( 8.8 oz) cooked microwave packet rice or 85g ( 3 oz) uncooked rice.
- 400 g ( 14 oz) canned/ tinned tomatoes
- 500 g ( 1lb) ground beef mince
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced or finely diced
- 65 g ( 2.2 oz) canned sweetcorn
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C / 180˚Fan / 390˚F
- Cut the tops off the bell peppers (don't discard them!) and remove the seeds and membranes.
- Using a small paring knife, carve pumpkin faces into the side of each pepper. Be as creative as you like!
- Whilst the peppers are cooking, prepare the filling. Fry the mince in a large saucepan on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Finely dice the onion and garlic, then add these to the pan with the mince. (You may need to drain some of the fat from the pan, depending on the fat ratio of your mince). Cook for a further 3 minutes stirring regularly.
- Add the chopped canned tomatoes, sweetcorn, oregano, basil and salt & pepper to the pan. Give it a good stir, lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Cook the rice in the microwave, then add to the meat mixture, stirring through until fully combined.
- Take the peppers out of the oven and use a spoon to fill the hollowed-out peppers with the mince/rice mixture until they are full, firmly pressing down with the spoon to compact the filling.
- Place the tops back on the peppers and serve immediately,
Notes
- If using microwave rice: it can't be reheated, so only stir through the amount you're eating straight away. Keep any leftover mince mixture on its own in the fridge (airtight container) for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or gently on the hob until piping hot. You can also freeze the mince mixture by itself for up to 3 months - just defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
- If using normal rice: cool the rice and mince mixture as quickly as you can, then pop it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the hob until piping hot. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months, though the rice texture may change a bit and turn mushy once defrosted.
Can I Make Stuffed Peppers Ahead Of Time?
You sure can! Cook and fill the peppers with the rice and mince mixture (only if using normal rice, as microwave rice cannot be reheated twice!) and leave them to chill in the fridge. When you are ready to cook, place the stuffed peppers in a snug baking dish and cook in a preheated oven at 180˚C / 160˚Fan / 355˚F for 15-20 minutes until piping hot throughout. Please note the recipe hasn't been tested in US measurements.
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